Forever this way
by Beckydaspatz
Summary: Set during the 6x17 timeline so spoilers up to that point, Ellen and Bobby and how they came to be married! Let me know what you think, thanks as always for reading :D
1. Chapter 1

**A.n.: Hi again guys! Firstly thank you so, SO much for all the reviews for "In distress." I am glad it was so well liked. Secondly as you can tell this is a bobby/ellen story, because the plot bunny that was hatching during 6x17 My heart will go on, waited, biding it's time and then suddenly it sprang on me and demanded I write this. So...I am. It was supposed to be a one-shot, but the more I wrote it the more it morphed into this. So this is the first chapter in a three (four? Five?) part telling of Ellen and Bobbys relationship and how they met/fell in love/ and got married in the 6 x 17 alternate universe, hopefully you like. Ellens' POV is in italics, Bobbys' is just normal. Because Ellen and Bobby needs to be shipped much harder than it is now. Just my opinion...any who off of my soap box and onto the story! Also this is dedicated in it's entirety to my friend smalld1171 :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

He puffed a hushed breath into his hands to try and generate some warmth, shuffling back and forth from one foot to the next. And damn he was _tired. _The kinda bone deep weariness that he was afraid would never go away. He just finished exorcising a handful of teenagers trying to do a blood sacrifice in the middle of the Nebraska woods and now…he needed a drink.

Bobby had jostled the frightened and freezing kids into consciousness, slipping his own jacket off to place on the shoulders of a slender, terrified blonde and then he had waited while they all began to remember. He wished with everything in him he didn't have to tell these kids the truth, but wide eyes stared up at him, waiting for something to make sense. It was always routine after that, if they survived the exorcism (all but two had) you had to tell them about demons and what to do so they couldn't get back up in ya. Bobby distributed the charms he carried with him and sent the kids back to their cars and back home. He dug two graves, frigid wind biting into his fingers and face and then trudged back to his car. He always had a regretful twinge that he had not had all of this knowledge early on in his life. Would have saved him a lot of trouble…

The dull light the sign marked Roadhouse cast was a welcome sight. The vision of older, burly males stumbling out drunkenly into the night was even more welcome. Bobby could practically hear the beer calling his name. He plopped down onto a bar stool, holding his hand up to wave the bartender over. He hadn't been there more than thirty seconds when he realized it was a bar full of mostly hunters, dozens of eyes darting over to track his entrance into the building. The bartender moved in front of him as he raised his head to request his drink of choice. He was momentarily frozen as he stared into dazzling green eyes and a soft upturned mouth.

"What'll it be?" her voice asked and Bobby had to mentally slap himself to keep from muttered a "what?" having completely forgotten what the question was.

"You get your marbles knocked around in there?" she chuckled, a low rumble.

"What? Uh, no sorry. Just a beer." He answers, wondering what it was about this girl that affected him. Hell he hadn't even so much as looked at another woman since…

"Here you go." She placed the drink in front of him.

"Thanks."

_Ellen Harvelle was about to swing the shotgun she had under the bar to her hip and aim it at the sleazy hunter who was panting alcohol laden breathe into her face. Complete with terribly crude pickup lines. Oh yeah, her trigger finger was downright itchy._

"_Thinkin you, me and the back seat of my truck ought to get acquainted…" he broke off, swaying where he stood._

"_Thinking you should go sit down Tex before you hurt yourself," she gave a sharp nod at his hunter buddies who approached the inebriated man before he face planted into a bar stool._

_Damn, she really could have used the laugh._

_She was cleaning up the beer nuts off the bar, completely absorbed in her thoughts when the door blows open and a draft of cold air shakes her back into reality. The man that is silhouetted in the doorway has little to no winter wear on and Ellen thinks he's got to be green as the grass to being a hunter if he isn't toting around a parka in the harsh winter months. He sags into his seat and then meets her eyes. His lips are chapped and his hair is dusted white with snow, but his eyes are the color of the ocean during a storm and she can see a sea of sadness in them._

_He asks for a beer and she drops one in front of him wondering idly what type of deep, dark, terrible secrets this man carried._

_He shot a tired smile in her direction, lifting the bottle in a cheers motion._

_She reached under the bar and snagged the portable heater that was currently keeping her calves toasty and set it in front of the shivering male._

_He looked confused at the object, red hands already inching towards the heat._

"_So I don't have to pick up your fingers after they've fallen off. Clean up after enough damn hunters." She joked and to her surprise the harsh line that seemed to be the permanent state of most hunters' mouths quirked up._

"_Thanks uh…" he scratched at the back off his head._

"_Ellen. Ellen Harvelle." She thrust her hand out in front of him with a grin._

"_Bobby Singer."_


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. We are on to chapter 2! Hopefully you like this (and tell me about it *hint hint*). This is for you Dorothy and all the Ellen/Bobby fans! **

**Disclaimer: Not mine *tear***

Bobby was wrecked. His body hurt, his head was pounding and he felt the need to swallow back bile with every step he took. He should just go home and suffer in silence,to let the emptiness along with a bottle of whiskey comfort him. But he just couldn't. This hunt had been too much, he needed...hell he didn't know what he needed just that he needed it.

The parking lot was mostly empty, save for a sleek black car. The only occupants are two boys in the back seat who were currently pinching each other. Bobby cast a sad smile in their direction, his heart clenching painfully in his chest at the sight of them.

"Ow Dean quit it!" the younger one yelped, tears welling up into his eyes. It was pretty damn amusing to watch the older ones face shift from evil glee to concern in seconds. Bobby always wondered what it would have been like to have sons...

When he walks into the Roadhouse he spots Ellen right off. She is leaning over the bar and speaking to a middle aged gentlemen who had his head bowed, his hand clasped around his glass.

"Hey there stranger," she called waving him over.

He raises a hand in a pathetic attempt at some sort of greeting and offers a tilt of his head to the other male.

"This is," Ellen began as the other man stood up to his full height, squaring his shoulders.

"John." the other man boomed, sticking out a large limbed hand and clapping Bobbys' in it.

Bobby might have been jealous if he wasn't so broken.

"Bobby." he grunted and John took his hand back with a nod to Ellen.

"Well the boys are outside, I'm sure killing each other by now," he chuckled softly. "I'll check into that thing we were talking about later this week. Thanks for the help Ellen." He waved to her and nodded at Bobby before going out through the front door.

Ellen's gaze landed on Bobby as he sat down at the bar.

"Haven't seen you in a couple of weeks." she started, sitting down on the stool inside the bar;eye level with him now.

"Yeah, I know, I've been," hunting with that damn fool Rufus, drinking, stupidly going solo into a hunt that was way over my head. "Busy."

"Yeah, seems like everyone has been busy lately," she gestured to her empty bar. "Seen about half the amount of hunters we usually do."

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, plenty of nasty shit going around, it's the people we're short on." he sighs, the sound pulling up from deep in his chest. "I could really use a,"

She turns away from him and to the cooler already reaching for a beer. "The usual?"

"No. Whiskey." he orders and Ellen shoots him a momentarily glance of concern before going to pour him a glass.

"Thanks." he answers gruffly, gulping the entire glass down.

Ellen is still staring at him, trying to puzzle out what is going on in his head. "You hungry?"

"Nah." he stares forlornly at the empty glass. "Seconds?"

She pours him a second glass, unsurprised when he looks up from it to say. "Leave the bottle."

"You know Jo's been asking about you. You don't see someone in your line of work for a couple of weeks you tend to get a bit worried."

"Sorry. Just been busy. How is Jo?" The thought of the little blonde girl he had gotten so attached to strangles the words in his throat.

"Fine, she's at school." Ellen reaches for the bottle at the same time as Bobby, halting his attempt to pour another glass. "What is it Bobby?"

"What? Nothing. I'm fine." His hands leave the bar and disappear into the pockets of his jacket.

"And I'm Miss Nebraska third year running," she says dryly. "What's wrong?"

He swallows hard, hands closing into fists inside his pockets. "Just tired."

"Well there is a spare bed in the back if you want,"

"No Ellen, I'm just..." and when he raises his head to look at her she can see the torment on his face.

"Bobby," she sits back on the stool. "What happened?"

His hands rises up onto the bar, gold chain hanging from his fingers. He sets it down, heart heavy, overwhelmed at the weight of something so small.

Ellen stares at the object, confounded for just a moment until she spots flecks of dried blood on it;the gold glint of the heart pendant barely visible through the saturation of dull red.

"I messed up El," he begins, fingers just grazing the chain. "I messed up bad."

His voice cracks as he stares at the trinket, head going down to the bar to stifle the sob crammed up in his throat.

A hand gently rests on the back of his head and a voice full of compassion says. "I know you Bobby Singer. You did the best you could."

_John Winchester still will not look her in the eyes. It's been years since...and still he will look anywhere but at her eyes. She passes along the information she has heard from the whispers of hunters about the demon he has been tracking and he thanks her, head still bowed. Does he not know that she had forgiven him a long time ago? Had her lack of stabbing him bloody with an ice pick not shown that?_

"_How are the boys?" she asks after a stretch of silence between them._

"_They are good. Going to drop them off at Jim's before I check this lead, but they are doing good. How's Jo?"_

"_A handful, but worth every gray hair." she laughs, sweeping the hair falling into her face back._

"_Yeah. Dean turns ten next year. It's amazing how fast time goes by..." he breaks off and she knows he isn't just talking about how much the boys have grown._

_She leans over the bar. "Jo's fixing to be seven and I," she cuts off at the creak of the door swinging open, looking up to see who is coming into her bar; happy beyond words that it is Bobby Singer, looking no worse for wear except for the deadness on his face._

_She greets him and then John inserts himself in between her and him. Ever the protector. They introduce themselves and then John is leaving, never one for much company unless its company he has chosen._

_Bobby doesn't sit so much as fall into the nearest chair, surprising her by ordering whiskey; a little bit stronger than his usual drink of choice. With every gulp she can see a bit of the wall he has built around him fade. __It's been a while since she's seen him and she hates to admit it but she looks up every time the door opens, hoping to be greeted by that trucker cap._

_He looks terrible, running a hand down his face and draining his glass once more. After his third one, she grips the bottle tight and asks him what is going on. When he drops the chain on the bar, and stares at it in desolation, like he must have stared at its previous owner, it's all she can do to not pull her friend into a hug over the side of the bar. _

"_I messed up El." he whispers, the sound soft. "I messed up bad."_

_His Adams apple starts working overtime before his head goes down, and she can't think of anything to say,;anything that might bring him some peace. She doesn't think Bobby would appreciate the lie anyway. She lays one hand on the back of his head, murmuring the truth to him._

_He doesn't answer, not that she expects him to. But he does tilt his head very subtly into her palm. _

_When he finally does look up from his seat, he accepts her offer to sleep there for the night; to get a fresh start in the morning. _

_He clasps her hand for just a second, and mutters "Thank you." before he shoves back from both the bar and the half finished bottl_

_Jo comes bursting in the door an hour later, throwing her backpack off to the side and inquiring. "Where is he?"_

"_Who sweetie?" _

"_Bobby, duh." she rolls her eyes at her mother like the answer should be obvious. "His car is outside."_

"_Manners Joanna Beth." she chides and the young girl looks down at her feet mumbling. "Sorry Mom."_

_Ellen can stay mad at her about as long as it takes her to blink already moving over to scoop her daughter into a hug._

"_I'm glad Bobby's here Mom, I like him."_

_Ellen thinks to the locket on the bar, the loss that Bobby had told her about with no words and squeezes her daughter a little tighter._

_Her voice is quiet when she whispers. "Me too."_

**Next chapter: Blood, banter and bonding! Stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. So this is chapter 3! Hopefully you like :D A huge shout out to smalld1171 for being the best beta a girl can ask for! She's the reason why you don't have to switch tenses fifty times during the story! Well I'm off to work on chapter 4, this story is practically writing itself. :-)**

**Disclaimer: Nothing, but this idea is mine. **

Red leaks between his fingers and he curses low in his throat, shucking his coat off and pushing into the gaping wound. The victim of said wound moans, her eyelids fluttering open as she locks confused, pained green onto his face.

"Bobby?" she gasps out, eyes moving from his face to their surroundings, trying to piece together what had happened.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"What happened?" She tries to push up on her forearms only to cry out and fall back to the ground.

"Don't move!" He hisses, hooking one arm under her to pull her up to his chest. "You ain't exactly covered in red paint here." He places her hands onto his balled up jacket, looking down at her.

"Ready?" she gives a nod and braces herself as Bobby pulls her up into his arms.

"Son of a," she pants, leaning her head into his shoulder.

"Yeah, didn't figure that was going to be much fun for you." He briefly connects his hand to her forehead. "But you don't seem to be running a fever, so hey, silver lining."

"What the hell happened?"

"You. Charged at a wendigo like an idjit." he grumbles, and shifts her closer to his body.

"Hey! This idiot stopped you from being skinned like a bear rug." she retorts. "What happened to the damn thing anyway?"

Bobby stops his trek back to the car to kick angrily at something solid on the ground. "I did." he mutters.

Ellen chuckles softly. "My hero."

Bobby turns his head away from her so she can't see the blush rising on his cheeks.

He places her gently in the car, instructing her to move the jacket so he can see how bad it is. When she pulls back the bloodied jacket, he sighs in relief that a fresh stream of red isn't pouring from the wound.

"Looks like it just got the surface, didn't nick any arteries or organs." He moves the jacket back in place with a pat to her hand.

"Lucky me." Ellen breathes and when Bobby goes around to the drivers side and watches her settle into the seat with barely a grimace, he can't help but think it was the other way around.

As many times he had thought about carrying Ellen into his house over the last couple of years it had never played out quite like this. She had winced halfway on the way to the house and Bobby had dug out a bottle of painkillers from his glove compartment, advising her to take one. She took a shaky breath and downed the pill with the rest of an almost empty water bottle.

Fifteen minutes later her eyes had lost all lucidity and she fell on him when he pulled open the door. It was hard enough trying to get her onto her wobbly feet, let alone moving her so she didn't pull at the tear in her stomach. Getting from the car to the house took twice as long as normal, with Ellen babbling nonsense even once he had her laid on the couch. He really didn't want to know where here mind went when on drugs.

"Jo!" she yells so suddenly as Bobby checks her injury that he jumps.

"What about Jo?" He watches as her head lolls towards him, eyes shifting between his face and the floor.

"She's...she should be...where is she?" Her gaze swings to the door and then back to Bobby.

"With your sister remember?" He places a hand on her knee to try and ground her. "You were helping me track a wendigo, we dropped her off two days ago."

She blinks slowly shaking her head. "Right. She's with Heidi." Her green eyes swing up to him. "Are you okay?"

He laughs under his breath. "Yes Ellen, I'm fine. Only thing that got hurt was my pride, you rushing in and saving me like I'm a damn princess."

She laughs too, smiling at him as he finishes cleaning the wound and pulls her shirt back down onto her stomach.

He goes to stand and she just gazes up at him, and he wonders exactly what her drug addled brain is thinking as she states. "You have the prettiest eyes." and proceeds to pass out into the side of his couch.

Bobby grins like a fool as he moves to cover the sleeping woman.

_She sees Bobby go down and doesn't think much else other than 'Not another one.'_

_Next thing she knows she has hands all over her, assessing damage and an incredibly worried face swims in and out of her vision._

_She asks "What happened?" and tries to push up so she can at least figure out where they are._

_All she gets for her trouble is a piercing pain and one perturbed Bobby Singer ordering her not to move. Then she is hoisted up into his arms and informed the wendigo is dead in a voice so cold it scares her just a little bit._

_The ride to the house isn't that long, but every jolt or dip in the road has her pressing her hand a bit tighter on the wound, and by the time they hit a pot hole she has to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Bobby pulls the car slowly over to the side and then digs out a pill bottle stating "It will take the edge off." as Ellen gulps down half a bottle of stale water._

_He drives extra careful after that, Ellen drifting in and out of consciousness. _

_The door is pulled open as she falls into arms that wrap around her and a masculine voice murmuring_

"_I got ya." It's painfully reminiscent of the last time she had gotten hurt on a hunt, her husband carrying her back to their car, cocooning her into a heavy blanket as soon as she was positioned in the seat._

_He talked to her the whole way to the hospital, even though he was a quiet man, because he knew when Ellen was hurt it unnerved her to be surrounded by silence. He held her hand after the surgery, saying "It's going to be okay darlin'. Barely even a bee sting."_

_The voice in her ear now asks "How are you feeling?"_

_She thinks she murmurs back "Fine." but her brain and mouth don't seem to be on speaking terms right now._

_His hands are gentle, wiping away the blood and binding it closed with an ace bandage and Ellen watches with vision that is starting to go dim around the edges. He slides her shirt back down and moves to stand up. Ellen feels her head move up to follow him and she gets caught in his eyes, seemingly the only thing lit up with color in the whole room. Her lips part to say something and the man's mouth above her curls up in the beginning of a smile before her body tilts off to the side._

_When she finally does wake up, her body has been spread out on the couch, and there is an indent of a body on the chair adjacent to her. Although, she realizes as she starts to sit up, no Bobby. The question in her mind is answered by him crossing from his kitchen into the living room, bearing two steaming cups of what smells like heaven._

"_Was wondering when you were gonna wake up." he states, setting one of the cups close to her._

"_Figured I'd wait till all the work was done." she replies, sipping at the top of her cup._

_Bobby chuckles a rare sound from the man. Ellen thinks she would like to hear it more often._

"_Just like a woman to let the man do all the work."_

_She smiles over the rim of the cup at him. "What can I say Singer, I'm old fashioned."_

_He chortles as he lifts his own cup to his face and says under his breath. "Or just old."_

"_I heard that!' she yells and launches one of the pillows at him._

_Ellen could really get used to mornings like this._


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. If you are still hanging in with me here is Chapter 4. Hopefully you like! Thanks so much for reading, if you feel so kind review as well :)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine...not even a little bit.**

The Roadhouse is bustling, full of hunters when he pulls up in the parking lot, and he suddenly thinks maybe coming here wasn't such a great idea.

But that thought that immediately vanishes as Ellen comes storming out of the front door, brandishing her shotgun that helps her push a group of men out into the soft drizzle.

"You don't come to my bar and stir up trouble. Now get the hell out of here before I have to embarrass you by beating the hell out of ya!" She yells as Bobby slams his door shut.

Several pairs of drunken eyes swing around to confront him.

"You need help taking out the trash?" He grouses, puffing his chest out in case these idjits don't get the message.

"No Bobby, these boys were about to run along." She pauses to level her shotgun with the first ones guts. "Weren't ya?"

A furious bobbing of heads follows as the boys scramble to get back to their cars, slipping several times on the mud on the way.

Their wheels kick up mud as they tear out of the parking lot.

Ellen sighs and turns to greet the only man left in the parking lot.

"Hey there Bobby."

"Ellen."

"Well don't just stand there getting wet. Come on in." She goes back inside and Bobby follows.

He has to step over bottles and beer nuts and vomit to get to a table and Ellen moans in disgust as she looks around.

"Busy day?" He inquires, as he gestures to the chaos.

"Just a bunch of stupid kids who thought they were superheroes." She moves the broom into her hand.

"Mom, did you get rid of those jerks?" A blonde petite head pops out of the back door and as she spots Bobby she waves vigorously.

"Yes Joanna Beth, now stay out of here. Wait until I clean this up and then I will come and get you."

Her daughter nods, flashes another grin at Bobby and then disappears back through the swinging door.

"Wow, she's shot up like a weed." Bobby comments taking the broom out of Ellens' hands.

"That's what they do when you feed them." She laughs and reaches back for the broom. "I can do that Bobby."

"I don't mind." He replies, as he starts to sweep up the glass littering the floor.

Ellen shrugs at him and tries to hide the smile blooming on her lips. "Your choice."

Once everything is clean, as clean as the Roadhouse gets anyway, he sits in a chair and Ellen sets a sandwich in front of him.

Bobby reaches into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. Her hand on his arm stops him.

"Don't even think about it Singer. You helped clean up this shithole, you eat for free."

Bobby bites into the sandwich and thinks he is really quite fond of this shithole, although that might have more to do with the people in it than the actual place.

Jo is given the okay to come back out and comes flying back into the room, French brain thumping against her back.

"Bobby!" She shouts hooking her arms around his waist and grinning up at the older man.

"Hey there beautiful." He plants a kiss on her forehead. He had almost forgotten the simple joy of being surrounded by people he loves. Not death and destruction and a smell that wouldn't go away no matter how many times he cleaned everything.

"You've been gone two weeks." She says with a pout before crying out gleefully "I grew another two inches!"

"Did you?" He pushes her back to look at her. "Well I'll be damned; you're almost as tall as me now."

Jo eyes light up as she looks back at her mom. Ellen touches the top of her daughters head with a wistful sigh.

"It's getting late Jo. And I know you've been ignoring your homework."

The girl groans. "Aw Mom, can't it wait till after Bobby leaves?" she questions and Ellen shakes her head.

"You've waited long enough Jo. Bobby will be back soon."

He gives a hard shake of his head. "Oh yeah, got a job up here next week."

"Promise?"

"Yes. I promise."

"The only other person who comes here to see Mom is Mr. Winchester and Sam is okay, but Dean picks on me."

Bobby resists the urge to laugh. If Jo was anything like her Mom, looks wise and smarts wise, Bobby has the feeling that Dean will have his hands full sooner rather than later.

"Don't worry Jo. I ain't going anywhere." He reaches out to tap the girls' hand.

Her voice is the voice of someone who has lost far too much in far too little years as she says quietly.

"Good."

"Now go on to your room. I'll be there in just a minute to check your homework."

She is a flurry of blonde hair and energy as she vanishes just as quickly as she had appeared.

Bobby is tired just looking at her. He stands and lifts his jacket back onto his frame.

"I'd better get going Ellen. Rufus is waiting for me two states over."

"Tell Rufus I said hi. Did you want to take anything for the road?"

"Nah, I have to fuel her up next city. I'll grab something to eat then."

He could swear she looks disappointed at his answer.

"Well I'll see you next time you blow through my door." She smiles at him.

"Yeah."

She wrings the bar rag in her hand for a minute or so, before she places it on the table.

"Thanks for everything Bobby." She says, her voice flat.

"Anytime El."

"To hell with it." She mutters and grabs the lapels of his jacket.

Bobby would have asked what in the sam hill she was doing, but his lips were a little bit preoccupied at the moment.

He wasn't even aware that he was back in his car until he hears the rustle of the cheap gas station bouquet under his hand. He had come there to ask Ellen out on a proper date. He had left with a kiss on his lips that he was still smiling about. Bobby was definitely putting this one in the win column.

_Ellen thinks as she sees the gray threatening clouds rolling in, that it is going to be a terrible day._

_She isn't proven wrong as one of the newest hunters leans over the bar and tells her morosely. "She was the one, you know?"_

_"Yeah honey, I'm sure she was."_

_He slams a palm down. "No, she was it. The it it."_

_Ellen shakes her head. "Well why did it not work out?" she questions replacing the empty beer bottle with a full water bottle._

_"Couldn't handle the job." He grunts, burping into his hands._

_"Then maybe she wasn't the one."_

_He looks lucid for about half a second before shaking his head. "No she was. She just needs time to warm up to the idea."_

_She watches him with a tiny chuckle. "What girl doesn't love a man who comes home smelling like dead evil shit?"_

_"I know!" he declares and lifts his head to beam at her. "I'm like superman without the cape." He stands up, swaying on his feet and turning to meet the other hunters. "We are all superheroes!"_

_One of the older, grumpier men mumbles. "Shut the hell up." And the younger boy puffs up his chest.  
><em>

_"Why don't you make me you old geezer?"_

_So the kid had obviously been absent the day the good Lord was passing out common sense._

_"You just made the worst mistake of your life son." The older man states rising from his chair.  
><em>

_Oh yeah, terrible, terrible day._

_She wasn't feeling much better about this particular Tuesday five minutes later when trying to reason with the group of apes had proven fairly useless. She was feeling even worse when the young man comes flying across her bar and onto the floor._

_He comes up swinging; landing a solid punch onto the older mans jaw and planting his feet into a fighting stance._

_Ellen's heart drops into her stomach when she sees a flash of silver reveal itself from his back pocket.  
><em>

_She was really hopes she isn't going to have to clean up any blood today._

_Another five minutes pass and then Ellen has had enough of the drunken, foolish pissing contest. She guides them out, none too gently, with the barrel of her shotgun and hopes that she won't have to waste her ammo shooting at the ground._

_She hears the familiar squeak of Bobby's car door and smiles internally. Well ,at least now if anything goes south she has backup._

_They clear out pretty soon after Bobby's arrival and then Ellen goes back inside to survey the damage. She needs to replace some of the shot glasses, one or two chairs and clean up the glass that is glittering like diamonds on the floor, but she guesses things could be a lot worse._

_Bobby offers to clean up and she doesn't have the energy in her to argue with him. Really it was nice having someone take care of her for a change._

_They talk a little bit while they work but mostly they just move in comfortable silence. It's been a long time since Ellen could just **be** with someone._

_Before she knows it Jo is flying in and talking up a storm ,and she wonders where her little girl is getting all her energy from because she could sure as hell use some. Her heart softens in her chest and all the walls she has to build up to keep sharp and alive and strong when everyone else is around crumble._

_Her daughter turns sparkling eyes on her and Ellen reaches out to place a hand on her baby's head._

_She is growing up way too fast._

_She needs to get Jo taken care of, look at her math problems, and comb out her braided hair; but more than that she needs this moment, this brief look into a family that if fate would be so kind she could have._

_She shoos Jo upstairs and tries to think of a way to thank Bobby Singer. For caring about Jo, for helping her clean up, for about a hundred other things that she can think of._

_She's wringing the bar rag in her hands, a habit she was never able to kick from childhood, and waits for a sign that Bobby wants her to do what she is currently thinking of doing._

_She settles for just the verbal thank you and then he says "Anytime El." Her heart does that pitter patter thing and she thinks for a second before she says "To hell with it."_

_His lips are soft and the stubble from his face tickles her. It's perfect for a first kiss and Ellen can't wait until they get do it again._

_After Bobby stumbles out of her bar and to his car, she watches him from the window with a huge grin on her face. A grin that threatens to split her face in two when she sees him pick up and move the cellophane wrapped bouquet._

_Ellen thought this was going to be a terrible day. She was glad she was wrong._

**Coming up next: Break out the Barry white and the sparkling cider ;) **


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N.: So here is chapter 5! Sorry it took awhile to get it up, I was out of town this weekend. Hopefully you like. :-D Also as always a huge thanks to my buddy smalld1171 for betaing this for me, it would not be grammatically correct if not for her! **

**Disclaimer: You know the drill, it ain't mine.**

'Something's wrong.' That's what run through his mind as he pulls into the Roadhouse. It's not so much like something looks wrong so much as _feels_ like it. His suspicions are confirmed when he gets out of his car to be greeted by a morose Jo sitting on the steps.

He takes a few steps towards her and she looks up at him with watery eyes.

"Jo?" he questions, leaves crunching under his boots as he approaches her. "What's going on?"

She might have answered if a car hadn't have swung around from the side of the building at that exact moment.

John Winchester steps out and turns towards Bobby.

"John." he greets him with a wave and John nods his head in acknowledgment.

"Hey Bobby," The man says sadly.

Bobby moves to put himself side by side with Jo and it is not lost on him that she rests one hand on top of his boot.

"What's going on here?" He asks.

John's gaze shifts down to the girl, to the Roadhouse, and then to Bobby

"Jo, go ahead and get in the car." He says.

The girl looks up wide eyed at Bobby.

Bobby may dislike a lot of things about John Winchester, mostly that stubborn asshole streak in him, but he knows he is a good man.

"Jo?"

The girl's lip starts to tremble and Bobby can't take it anymore; he leans down onto the step she currently occupies. 

"What's the matter?"

"Mom said I had to stay with John and Sam and Dean tonight."

"Why?" He asks as Jo shakes her head.

"Because," Bobby rises at the sound of John's voice. "Ellen isn't feeling very well."

"Well I can take Jo back to my place. She got the flu or..." Bobby stops mid sentence as something seems to shift in the Winchesters face; something that looks like guilt when he meets Bobby's eyes head on.

"I'll take care of Jo. You just," He pauses, and his chest looks like it is about to cave in with the force of his sigh. "Look after Ellen."

"Ellen okay with this?"

"She asked me to."

Bobby nods, pats Jo on the knee. "We'll see you first thing kiddo. Don't want you to catch whatever your mom's got."

Her head bobs and she shifts her backpack on her side.

"Can't I just stay here with you?" she pleads.

A jerk of John's head back towards the Roadhouse.

Bobby isn't sure what is going on, but he knows it ain't good.

"No Jo, you can't. It will be tomorrow soon enough." He ruffles her hair as she nods and gets up.

Bobby escorts her over to the car and snorts at the enthusiastic waves he sees from the boys in the back.

"Hey Uncle Bobby!" They call out in unison as Dean climbs over the seat to give Jo room in the back.

"Hey Sam. Hey Dean." He can't help but smile at those two idjits.

Jo raises her head to look at him as John buckles up in the front.

"Everything's going to be fine Jo. Sometimes people just get sick, but they always get better."

She smiles slightly at that.

"We'll be at the Motel 6 downtown if you need anything," John begins and Bobby can almost feel his need to gun the car and get away.

"Okay," Bobby leans in close to the window on Dean's side. "You boys be good to my girl here." And the way he says it leaves no room for argument.

"Yes sir." They chirp and Sam beams at him. "Dad said we are getting pizza and watching movies."

John nods and leans in to turn the car on.

"Try not to catch what Mom's got!" Jo yells as they drive away.

Bobby looks up at the foreboding doors of the Roadhouse and thinks 'That's the plan Jo.'

She doesn't even look up when he comes in. That and the fact that she is bent over the wrong side of the bar is the first thing that he notices.

"Ellen?"

She raises the bottle back to her lips, taking a hearty swig. Bobby can see from the label it's the hard stuff.

"Not today Bobby." she grunts out as he moves ever so slowly towards the bar.

"John just left with Jo and the boys."

She nods. "Good. Why don't you go ahead and follow their lead?"

Bobby is almost within arms reach of her now and he can see the tiny bit of liquid still sloshing at the bottom. That means the rest is in her.

"What's going on Ellen?" He asks as he takes a seat and makes a motion to take the bottle from her hands.

She jerks back with a glare and sends the rest of the contents crashing down her throat.

"I said not today Robert."

Bobby winces. In the six months or so they have been dating he has done plenty of things to piss her off, but she has never bit out that particular curse at him.

She goes to stand up and Bobby catches her as she sways on her feet.

"Whoa. Easy there, I got ya."

She pushes off of him and gets caught in one of the few beams of sunlight streaming in past the busted slats in the blinds.

Bobby can see that her eyes are red from far more than alcohol consumption. He can also see the glint of a ring on her finger. A solid gold band that she moves to pull off as soon as she notices he has seen it.

"Ellen?"

"What?" She hisses and moves so she can hold back onto the table.

"What is it?" He wants to reach out and touch her but her gaze is darting around like a wild animal so Bobby decides to leave his hands bunches up at his sides.

"Nothing."

"Last time I checked a person doesn't bury themselves in a bottle for nothing." He says softly.

Apparently it's the wrong thing to say, because she whirls on him. "What the hell would you know about it?"

"Ellen, I,"

"You have no idea what it's like!" She roars and yanks the ring off of her finger. "No idea what it's like to see the shit I have seen in this stupid ass bar! To have an eleven year old daughter that can't remember what her father looks like, sounds like! To have to dig out an old picture just so you can remember! To see your wedding ring covered in dust, because you just can't wear it anymore," she pauses and dry heaves, bent over.

He moves a bit closer to her, caught off guard when she rears back up.

"To have to bury your husband before you were old enough to figure out if you would have made it through the 'for best or worse' part of marriage." Her voice is choked and Bobby can see tears running down her face now.

His hand is on her elbow now as he says softly. "Yes I do."

She challenges his gaze, daring him to lie to her for comfort.

Bobby, unfortunately ,has nothing to lie about.

He swallows the lump in his throat and says. "My wife was possessed."

Ellens' hand goes to his arm in the revelation.

"I didn't know what to do back then so I had to..." He breaks off, unsure that he can keep it together if he has to continue.

Two soft hands frame his face and when he opens back up his eyes he is staring into green pools of shared misery.

"I'm so sorry." She says, more lucidly than he would have thought possible at that point. "I didn't know."

Bobby swallows and reaches up to take her hands in his. "Yeah, me neither."

"I didn't mean," she begins and Bobby can hear the saturation of guilt in those words.

"It's okay Ellen."

"I just needed,"

"Ellen," he kisses her softly. "It's okay."

They don't have words left, nothing but this sharing of grief as he kisses her again and again.

She tastes like cinnamon and spirits and there are tears on his face. His? Hers? Who knows. All he knows is if he could take her pain and bear it as his own, in this moment he would.

She kisses him back. Not with the reservation of a grieving widow, but with the lips of a woman who is falling in love.

"Bobby, I." He's seen her drunk once or twice before, although never under such devastating circumstances, and she always talks too much. Trying to work out sober thoughts from inebriated ones.

He pulls back. "Sorry Ellen, I'll stop."

She smirks at him and God, in this house of gloom it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

"I was just going to tell you that this ain't prom. You don't have to be so gentle."

He laughs. _This_ is the woman he's fallen for. This spitfire. This kind, gentle, beautiful, funny, Ellen. His Ellen.

"Well don't blame me if you pull something." He retorts and her lips curl up in a grin.

There is just a moment of hesitation, of reluctance, and then they are at it again. He's never wanted anything more in his life. Her arms are winding around him, hands knocking his trucker cap to the ground which is something they both notice with a snort. He hasn't been with a woman in a long time and he's almost forgotten how much he likes the soft curves of them.

He worries he might be coming on a little too strong, a thought that is chased away as soon as Ellen catches his ear with her teeth. "How about we move this into a place a little more private?" she breathes into his neck and he can't respond. In fact it's all he can do to nod.

Her fingers are fast on his button up shirt and then she gazes up at him. Gone are the dark echoes of grief in them, now they are full of nothing but love. For him. If Bobby was a religious man he might have said that God had put them together to heal each other. Or some other Hallmark nonsense.

When he wakes up in the morning and looks down at her naked body curled into him, one hand splayed across his chest, her heartbeat a soft hum against his ribcage, Bobby thinks that he might just believe in God after all. If for nothing else than Ellen Harvelle.

_Ellen didn't ever drink to get drunk. Okay sure she had her nights where she had one two many with John or Bobby and ended up getting drunk, but she had never just sat down and stared down a bottle wondering what was at the bottom of it. It just wasn't her style._

_She'd seen two many idiots who thought that there was a magical cure to all of life's problems at the bottom. They quickly learned there was no more a magic cure at the bottom of a bottle than there was at the bottom of a toilet or a trashcan, whatever they happened to get to first. _

_So she was a bit caught off guard when she was combing her daughters hair and she asked. "Mom, what color eyes did Dad have?"_

_She was in fact so surprised that she ended up dropping the brush._

"_What?" She questions, bending over to retrieve the fallen object._

"_Dad's eyes. Cause yours are green and mine are kinda brown and I was just wondering if I got them from Dad."_

"_Oh." She breathes and tries to rack her brain for a clear image of William Harvelle. All she comes __up with however, is a fuzzy recollection of her late husband._

"_Mom?"_

"_Yeah sweetie, I think you got those from your dad."_

"_You don't know?" It's asked with such innocence that it breaks her heart._

"_Of course I know baby, you have your daddy's eyes." _

_Jo smiles at her. "That's cool. I always wondered." And then takes off without so much as a look back at her mom._

_Ellen digs through her jewelry box, knowing she has a picture of Bill in there just not sure where it is. After the third attempt to find it, she knocks the box to the ground with a frustrated grunt and out of the chaos rolls a single gold band. When she moves to pick it up her hands are shaking. _

_The next thing she knows she is gripping a bottle tight, gold ring reflected in the cool brown liquid. It's really not her style to try and drown her sorrows, but then again she isn't feeling much like herself._

_When John comes in through the door, his boys trailing behind him, Ellen has to fight the urge to chuck the bottle at his head. After all if not for him... No, she is not going down that route. She isn't thinking too clearly and she knows, somewhere under all the rage, that John has punished himself enough._

"_Ellen," He begins, taking a long look at the bottle before shifting his gaze back to her. "Everything okay?"_

_No, and it won't ever be okay again thanks to you._

"_Peachy." She grimaces as she takes a gulp from her glass. She really needs to stop, Jo can't see her like this. Currently, Jo is chatting with the Winchester boys though so maybe Ellen can stop worrying._

"_Anything I can do?" He asks as he pulls up a chair next to her._

"_No,nothing." she states and prays that he leaves it the hell alone. Her sobriety is diminishing with every gulp and she is not sure how much longer cooler heads will prevail._

_John reaches for the bottle. "Can I pour myself a glass?"_

"_Help yourself."_

"_Ellen," he starts and lays a hand on hers. " God knows you've helped me and the boys enough times. If there is anything I can do."_

"_You've done plenty John Winchester." And by the look on his face she said that out loud._

_His hand retreats. "What do you mean?"_

_She downs another glass. "You know exactly what I mean."_

_By the torrent of emotions on his face she can tell he does._

"_Ellen,"_

"_No, your apologies didn't do shit for me six years ago. They aren't going to do shit for me now."_

_He has nothing to say to that and it pisses her off._

"_Jo, she asked about him today and I didn't know." she whispers into the empty glass._

"_Sometimes the boys ask about Mary and I,"_

"_This isn't about you John!" she bellows, slamming the glass down. "This is about the fact that I can't tell my daughter what my goddamn husband looked like! And you have no right," she chokes back her comment, noticing that the younger audience has stopped chattering and is looking right at her. Jo is looking right at her._

"_God," she breathes and turns to John. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing." She runs a hand through her hair and John nods._

_His face is pale and Jo questions. "Mom?"_

"_John, just take her. Please, please take her. Take the night off, watch movies, but please take her." She can't let her daughter see her this way, but she can't stop either. Too far gone in the spiral to stop until she has hit the bottom._

_He takes a shaky breath. "Okay. Okay. I'll bring her back tomorrow."_

_Ellen can't look at John as she passes over the bag to him. She kisses the top of her daughters head._

"_Mom? Did I do something wrong?"_

_Ellen crushes her to her chest for just a minute. "No baby, you didn't do anything, I'm just feeling sick. I don't want you to get what I got."_

_Jo nods. "I hope you feel better Mom."_

_Ellen bites back a sob. Keep it together Ellen, just till the car drives away._

"_Me too honey."_

_As soon as the door closes with Sam asking "What's wrong with her dad?" Ellen goes straight back to the bottle. Enough of this shit, she's tired of her heart breaking._

_The car engine roars to life outside and then the door comes open. _

"_Ellen?"_

_Sorry Ellen is not here right now, but if you leave a message..._

_She takes another hit from the bottle, noticing dully that it's stopped hitting back._

"_Not today Bobby." she says and it doesn't even sound like her._

_She wants him to leave. Get in your car and get the hell out of here. Before I drag you down with me._

_He tries to take the bottle and she can feel herself glare daggers at him. He's only trying to help she knows, but she doesn't want it. Leave me alone with the ghost of Bill._

_And then he is catching her. She hadn't even known she was falling. And she hates him for just a minute, for being so kind, for refusing to leave, for not being Bill._

_He says something, something that doesn't register in the sane part of her brain so the insane part takes over and she is livid. Roaring and shouting and wishing that there weren't three of him right now cause she would really like to punch one of them in the mouth. Stop moving Singer._

_He says he understands and that stops her cold. There is no way he could, no possible way he could understand._

"_My wife was possessed." _

_Oh God. Oh God. I'm so stupid._

_She tries to apologize to him, tries to mend the bridge she has begun tearing down and Bobby Singer, bless his heart, tells her it's okay and kisses her. And with his lips on hers it feels like it actually might be. _

_He's so gentle with her, so soft and forgiving and if she didn't know in the six months they have been doing this dance that she loves him, she sure as hell does now. She stops for just a minute, tries to tell him and the moron tries to apologize for where things are headed. As if she hadn't wanted it as bad as him._

_Ellen may be a lot of things, but she isn't a saint and Bobby, well besides the fact that she feels like she might love him so much her heart will burst, he's not a bad looking man._

_He says "Well don't blame me if you pull something." and Ellen may have been off the horse for awhile, but she thinks she still remembers how to ride. Turns out they both do as he strips her shirt from her head. _

_When she wakes up in the morning with a slight headache and a warm body pulling her in tight, she smiles and drapes a hand on his chest. "I think I might just love you Bobby Singer." she murmurs as she snuggles back down onto him. She tilts her head back up to kiss the underside of his jaw and doesn't miss the fact that he is trying to hide a smile. _


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N.: Anybody still out there? Just kidding, I love that you guys are liking this! :-) I'm enjoying being able to pay tribute to a couple that didn't get nearly enough screen time IMHO (Misha talk :P) This chapter is short and sweet. As always a shout out to Dorothy for prettying it up before I put it out! You are the best.**

**Disclaimer: If this was mine, you would see this upcoming scene on the boobtube.**

"You know Bobby, maybe it's just time to call it quits." Ellen sighs as Bobby looks up from the door he is working on.

"No." he insists stubbornly.

"Doesn't look like there is much hope left." 

"I said no."

"We could get you a new car."

Bobby slams the hammer in his hand into the door and hopes he at least knocked one of the dents out.

"I like the car I got Ellen." he pants as he pulls himself up to a standing position.

Ellen shrugs a shoulder. "Okay then, I guess that settles it."

Bobby pulls his cap off to wipe at the sweat rolling down his face. "You don't have to help me." he says as she passes him a glass of ice tea.

"I told you I would."

Bobby throws a smirk her way. "Well then I could use your help without the commentary."

"Oh!" she cries and smacks him playfully on the arm. "You're terrible."

Bobby smiles at that and disappears back under the car.

He's had to shift about a dozen times to get to a good spot where he can stick his arm up in the ruined engine. Every time he moves, the small box in his pocket digs into his leg and reminds him of what he set out to do today.

"How's it look?" Her voice calls down to him. 

"Like a damn poltergeist ran her off the road, that's how." 

She laughs and it's a pleasant sound in the quiet junkyard. "I swear Singer, if it isn't you that's getting knocked around, it's your car." 

Bobby chuffs a laugh into his arm. "What can I say? I got a way with spirits." 

Ellen kicks halfheartedly as one of his feet sticking out from the other end of the car. 

"What? Maybe she was running me off the road to get my number." He laughs at his own joke. It's only by luck that he has managed to land Ellen in the first place he's sure. 

"Maybe," the woman above him muses. "Or maybe she was trying to stop you from salting and burning her dead ass."

Bobby's head pokes out from under the car. "Women don't go for that sort of thing?" 

Ellen snorts and shakes her head. 

"Huh? Who knew?" 

They work in silence for a while, Ellen passing down tools every time Bobby voices a need for one. 

When Bobby finally emerges from the car, his t shirt is saturated in dirt and sweat and whatever else the injured vehicle has spewed out, and Ellen is waiting for him, water bottle in hand. 

"Thanks." he says and yanks the cap off of the water to gulp it down. 

"You had to pick the hottest day of the summer to work on the car didn't ya?" she inquires, using her own water bottle to soak a washcloth and swipe it across his head. 

Bobby leans into the coolness of it. 

"How much do you have left?" She asks as she takes her hand back to sweep her hair into a ponytail. 

"Not much," he comments around swigs of water. "Have to tighten a couple of bolts and then I'm done for the day." 

Ellen smiles lopsided at him. "Well then let's get to work." 

With every turn of the wrench Bobby is trying to think of the right words to say. He isn't much for romance and so much of his and Ellen's relationship has skipped past all that he doesn't really think that is the route he should go. However, his mind keeps reminding him of the shrill excited advice issued to him from his hopefully, soon to be pre-teen daughter. _'It has to be romantic, and there has to be candles and you have to tell her how she's the only one for you, forever and ever.'_ Bobby chuckles at the thought of him sweeping Ellen off of her feet. It all just feels a little too high school to him. 

"Well?" Ellen calls as Bobby hoists himself to his feet.

"Yeah, it looks good for now. Thanks for the help." 

Ellen beams at him, wrench in hand before pulling said hand across her forehead to chase away the gleam of sweat there, and managing to smear a line of grease across her skin in the process. 

Bobby just laughs softly at that. 

"What?" she asks, looking around for the source of his humor. 

"You got a little," he gestures to her forehead and she wipes there again causing the stain to grow. 

"Did I get it?" She looks back at him, confusion on her face. 

She's never looked more beautiful to Bobby than in that moment, and without really thinking about it his mouth says. "You gonna marry me or what?" 

Bewilderment is chased from her face by pure happiness as she kisses him and replies. "What took you so long you idjit?" She says teasing him. 

Looking at her now, Bobby has no idea.

_She finally gets a day off and Bobby wants to work on the car. _

_Figures. It's been sitting in the junkyard for more than a week, but the second she says she is driving up to see him he says "Great. Maybe you can help me with the car." And Ellen could really care less about the damn thing, but it's important to Bobby which in turn makes it important to her._

_When she arrives at the house Bobby is already outside, denim clad legs sticking out at odd angles under the damaged frame of the vehicle. She can hear a muttered "Dammit!" followed by a loud clank._

"_I'm here!" she calls as Bobby pulls him from under the car._

_It doesn't escape her attention that as soon as he sees her his face is splitting into a smile._

_She kisses his cheek tenderly. "What's the damage?"_

_He takes her hand in his like it's as easy as breathing. "The damage is pretty much all the banged to hell parts you can see." He sighs. "And the added bonus of a busted up engine."_

_Ellen dances fingers across his forehead. "Call now for the heat stroke free of charge?" she questions as Bobby hides his red face._

"_It's just a **little** hot out."_

"_Right. Like your face is just a little red." She pulls him away from the car._

"_I'm fine Ellen." He mutters as soon as they are in the house._

_She is digging a water bottle from the fridge and passing it to him with an eye roll._

"_What the hell would you do without me Bobby Singer?"_

_He looks up from the bottle, his eyes smiling at her. _

_He looks like he is at a loss for words, caught between the desire to be sweet or sarcastic._

_Ellen saves him the trouble. "That heap ain't gonna fix itself." She states and rolls her sleeves up to her elbows._

"_Don't talk about her that way!" He cries. "She's a classic."_

_They have been out in the dry heat for what feels like hours and Ellen is feeling pretty useless as she hands him down tool after tool, narrowly missing being scathed by the metal._

_They joke and tease and talk about life, which for them means rituals and lore. He asks about Jo and Ellen thinks about her daughter rushing out of the door this morning, avoiding her eyes like she always does when she has some sort of secret she is worried she will spill._

_Every time he comes out from under the car his jeans are a little bit more dirty and his face is getting covered in motor oil. All except for his eyes. She could get lost in those eyes._

_He's telling her they are almost all done here and she can't help but think 'Thank God.'_

"_Well it looks all good here. Thanks for the help." She smiles at him and then wipes a hand across her forehead, hoping to chase away the sweat that is pooling there. _

_Bobby laughs, lines crinkling around his eyes._

"_What?" She wonders aloud, looking around to see what is so damn funny._

"_You got a little," His hand gestures to her head as she wipes sheepishly at it,hoping to get rid of whatever is tainting the skin._

"_Did I get it?" she inquires, and the smile on Bobby's face grows before his entire expression turns tender and soft and he says "You gonna marry me or what?"_

_She can't think of an answer, nothing that would really mean a damn thing as she grips him tight and kisses him. "What took you so long you idjit?" she asks, using his own phrase against him._

_He looks at her with awe and then down to his feet and then back at her. _

_'So, um, I ain't too good at this. Was that a yes?" _

_She giggles, and hell it has been a long time since anything in life has elicited that sort of response from her._

"_That's a hell yes Singer."_

_Relief and bliss fight for dominion of his face as his hands, suddenly clumsy and unsure, dig into his pocket and pull out a small box._

"_Bobby I,"_

_He lifts the lid and then frowns at his dirty fingers._

"_Maybe I should do this part later." he muses and Ellen smiles at him._

"_Sounds like a good idea...after we get cleaned up." She has no intentions of rushing that particular activity._

_Bobby catches on and his breath hitches for just a minute. Ellen loves that she has that effect on him._

_He pulls her close, breathing in the scent of her hair._

"_I'm going to make you happy Ellen. I promise."_

_She kisses the side of his face, one hand cradling the other side of it. "You already have."_

_Then they kiss like there is nothing else going on in the entire world, and as far as Ellen knows, there isn't._

_**A.W.: Okay so guys, I know exactly where this story is going in my mind. It has about 6 chapters left with me filling it with what I would like to see in it. However, I would like to issue a statement that says if you have any requests, either for chapters or scenes you would like to see (within reason of course and staying with the pairing) I would be more than happy to write them! Just send me a private message and I will get right on that! Thank you for all those who have read and reviewed, you can't possibly know how much it means to me. :D**_


	7. Chapter 7

**A.N.: Here is chapter 7! Hopey you like! As always thanks to all who read and review :-) And to my dear friend Dorothy, your comment on this chapter made my whole day! **

**Disclaimer: Have you seen this scene on the show? Then it's not mine.**

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong that day. One of the candles catching on the napkins and creating a small fire, check. Jo deciding last minute that she didn't want them to get married (mostly in part to a fight with Dean) and throwing a fit, check. Sam eating one of the appetizers and getting violently sick, check. And lastly, the young hunter who had come in the door, one hand pressed tightly against his gut. He smiled shakily at them before passing out into a steady stream of his own blood. Check and check. Bobby was starting to think that maybe something didn't want them to get married.

Not to mention if he has to hear one more time from John how "I really hate this monkey suit. Makes me look like a damn fool." It was going to be what the man was buried in, coincidentally on his wedding day.

Rufus too has piped up several times about the insanity of trying to have a wedding at the Roadhouse. Ellen and Bobby weren't exactly made of money and there was only a handful of people either of them had wanted at the event. It was either the Roadhouse or his house and after a messy exorcism Bobby really didn't want to have to explain to the few guests that were not part of the life why he had blood stains and devil traps littering his home. A fact he was a lot less worried about when the hunter fell down to the floor. There was a half a minute of silence and then his sister had let out a ear splitting shriek and Ellen had come running up to the front with nothing but a robe on.

"What the hell? Who is that?" She demanded, turning back towards him.

Bobby shrugged a shoulder. "Hell if I know."

Ellen sighs and hoists him up on her shoulder as she shoots a look at Bobby.

"Well we can't just leave him bleeding to death on the floor. Grab the first aid kit and send John back."

Bobby's sister Kelly wails. "What is happening?"

John nods and takes the kit from Bobby before he disappears into the back room.

Kelly is still spewing questions and Bobby thanks the Lord that Rufus escorts her outside.

Good, he has enough to deal with inside.

It takes Ellen and John about twenty minutes to get the young man patched up and then he is sleeping soundly on the cot in the back.

John comes out wearing a smirk and not looking a bit guilty that the suit is covered in a thick layer of crimson.

"Guess I'll have to change." he muses and Bobby frowns at him.

One easy, fast wedding. Is that too much to ask?

"Whatever." Bobby huffs and heads to the bar.

Rufus claps a hand on the back of Bobby's shoulder. "Your sister isn't going to be causing a scene anymore. Are we getting on with the festivities or what? I could use a drink."

Bobby laughs. "You could use a drink? You? It's my wedding and I've spend most of it putting out fires! Literally!"

Rufus stares at him.

"Well don't lose your cool Bobby, you'll be the ball to Ellen's chain by the end of the day."

He sighs deeply. "I don't know, maybe Fate is trying to tell me that..." he pauses as the door to the back swings open and Ellen strolls out. Her shoulder length chestnut brown hair is swept back into curls and she is donned in a beige dress with a single gold chain on her neck. She is wearing a smile that is warm and carrying a small bouquet of sunflowers. Bobby can't form an single thought and his mouth pushes out. "Wow."

Screw fate. He's getting married.

Ellen stops next to him to whisper. "You ready to do this?"

Bobby mouth quirks up as he retorts. "Can we just get to the 'I dos' already?"

She giggles, a sound that she reserves just for them.

"I know today's been a bit crazy and I've been a grouch, but I just wanted to let you know," He begins.

"Bobby I'd marry you in the middle of a desert covered in ectoplasm. The details don't matter much to me, just the person at the end of it all."

How does she know what to say? All fears and worries and insecurities are chased away in a moment and all he sees is her.

The ceremony is quick and Bobby doesn't remember much other than he says I do and Jo is sitting next to Sam. Dean keeps trying to tell his brother something and Sam keeps glaring at him. John is practically beaming in his jeans and t-shirt now. Bobby just can't stop staring at Ellen. How he's managed to find not one, but two women who are willing to spend the rest of their lives with him he doesn't know. But he's not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

He bids farewell to the onlookers, assuring Jo that they would be back in a couple days. She gives him a half smile and kisses his clean shaven cheek. He fixes Dean with a gaze that says 'You try to pull anything while I'm gone and you'll be dealing with me when I get back.' Dean nods.

His wife touches a hand to his arm. "We better get going."

He nods and issues one last wave to the crowd. His sister keeps trying to get his attention and Rufus keeps filling her hand with a glass of alcohol. He tilts his head towards the other hunter 'Thanks Rufus I owe you one.'

He starts up the car and shifts into gear, the roar of the engine being challenged by the sound of cans clanking together.

Him and Ellen exchange a look before both breathe out a laugh. Rednecks, always tying something together.

"Did you pack everything you need?" He asks her.

"Yeah. We're covered. Got a sawed off and salt in the back too. You know, just in case." She laces her fingers into his.

Bobby kisses their interlocked hands. Till death do us part. Sounds good to him.

_It starts off as such a good day. The sun is shining, the guests are here, and she's managed to clear out all of the hunters who usually spend their days swapping war stories and polishing off drinks. Jo smiles broadly at her, exclaiming, "Mom, you look great!" and taking her hand._

"_You sure you're okay with this Joanna Beth?"_

"_Okay? I love Bobby and so do you." She leans into her mothers embrace. "This is just going to be the best."_

_Ellen was satisfied. If her emotional hormone bomb of a teenage daughter could get on board, Ellen needed to shake off her pre-wedding jitters. It's not so much that she doesn't want to marry Bobby Singer, it's that she always hoped that she was only going to do this once. She doesn't think she can make it through life is she has to say goodbye to another man she loves. Jo is babbling and preening and asking "Do you think Dean will like the dress? Not that I care, I was just wondering."_

_Ellen snorts. Her daughter is so transparent when she likes someone. Then again so is she._

"_I'm going to go check on everyone." Jo states before racing out of the room. _

_Ellen hears the rumble of Bobby's engine and her heart picks up speed in her chest. It's showtime._

_Jo stomps back into the room and Ellen thinks it's to announce that it's time to get a move on, but her whole face has changed._

"_Sweetie," she starts patting the bed next to her so Jo will sit. "What is it?"_

"_Nothing." she pouts._

"_Nothing my butt. Baby, what's wrong?"_

"_Don't get married!" she cries._

"_What?"_

"_Don't do it!"_

"_Jo, I thought you were fine with this."_

"_No! Boys are mean and they are only going to hurt you in the end. They are so dumb!" she exclaims. _

_Ellen pats her perturbed daughters leg._

"_Dean?" She inquires. Her Jo has been crushing on that boy since she was old enough to realize what that meant._

_She raises upset eyes to her Mom. "No." Her eyes cast back down. "Yes."_

"_Oh honey, I'll let you in on a little secret," And she would have imparted all of her womanly wisdom if a terrified cry had not cut into her speech._

_Was it too much to ask to get married without a complete stranger bleeding out on her floor? She can hear Bobby's sister jabbering and when she meets Bobby's eyes she doesn't think they have ever looked so annoyed._

_With the help of John they get the victim stitched up and are ready to get back to the wedding. _

"_I can't wear this suit like this." John says happily and Ellen almost laughs at how horribly out of place he looks in the formal wear. She wonders if years ago when him and Mary had taken the plunge he had dressed the part._

"_You nervous?" he asks and she shakes her head. _

"_No."_

"_Oh I guess you just have all the symptoms then." He jokes and in a rare moment of complete sincerity states. "Mary and I were terrified."_

"_What?"_

"_Mary, she got cold feet and I, well hot headed moron that I could be I got mad. We got into this huge fight right before the wedding and I really thought she wasn't going to go through with it. Although at the time I could have cared less and then I saw her. God she was...glowing. As corny as that sounds, she was radiating warmth and love and all the good things life has to offer and as soon as I saw her everything clicked." He twists the band on his finger. "Damnedest thing is when I asked her what made her change her mind she said I saw you and nothing else mattered."_

_Ellen smiles at him. "That's really sweet John, but that's you and Mary, this is me and Bobby. It's different."_

_John chuckles as he heads back out the door with a soft spoken. "If you say so."_

_And dammit, he's right. _

_After Ellen has cleaned the blood off of her and slipped into her beige gown, (Because she was a lot of things, a liar was not one of them) she goes out to face him and as soon as she sees his face it's over. The uncertainty, the fear, the thought that maybe this whole thing was crazy and she was only given one chance at happiness and she already let that slip through her fingers. Gone. Like they never existed in the first place. There was just him and her and the uncharted territory that was their life together. Ellen couldn't wait._

_The ceremony took longer than she would have liked and then she is hugging a few people and kissing the top of Jo's head. Her baby girl. The gift that Bill had left for her. For each other. Her husbands' arm curls around her side and Ellen really doesn't know what she was so afraid of._

_In the car they both laugh at the trail of cans, some beer, some beans, that is attached to the back. She doesn't know if she has ever noticed how well their laughs fit together. She tells them they are all set and then Bobby lifts their fingers to his face to kiss them before he guns the engine._

"_Hang on tight Mrs. Singer." He throws the comment in her direction._

_Mrs. Singer. She likes the sound of that._


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N.: So here it is Chapter 8! We'll just keep rolling right along, hope you enjoy. I need a megaphone to be able to send a proper shoutout to Dorothy for fixing this up for me yet again, since I sadly own no megaphone, caps will have to do. THANK YOU DOROTHY! And a huge thanks to all of you who have supported me thus far, I appreciate every single one of you. :-D**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

'Okay Ellen, you were right. Hunting with John was a very bad idea and I will eat a whole plate of crow when I get back.' Bobby thinks as he circles back behind a tree.

The boys are nowhere in sight and he hears a low rumble from the trees. "If." He breathes and reaches down for the silver knife in the top of his boot.

"Now would be a great time for you to show up Winchester." He groans as a hand reaches out and pulls him backwards.

Bobby would never admit in a million years to the fact that he screams like a little girl when that hand closes around the neck of his jacket.

He however prides himself that as startled as he was he didn't fall flat on his ass.

Dean chuckles. "You okay there Bobby?"

Bobby glares at him and would have thrown back a dry comment if not for John growling. "Get down!"

He's been a hunter for a long time now and even as he could see the first monster looming in front of him, he _felt_ another one sneak up from the side. Two werewolves...crap.

He scrambles for his fallen gun and watches as Dean fires into the first ones' flank. John steps from behind him to cover his back and Bobby wonders where the youngest Winchester is hiding.

John screams as the creature lifts him up and sends his body flying off into the distance.

"Dad!" Dean bellows as he swings the gun around.

Too late...he was going to be too late.

His eyes widen and Bobby feels sick as he realizes that he is about to watch the boy be murdered.

Until his younger brother, usually uncomfortable and out of his element on a hunt, levels his pistol right into the wolf's face and fires. Bobby sucks in a breath at the look on Sam's face.

Dean flinches at the closeness of the shot and watches as the wolf let out a wail. "Jeez Sammy." He mutters shakily.

Sam turns his face to his brother. "Did it get you Dean?"

He doesn't have a chance to answer as the other werewolf bounds over to them, snarling.

Bobby grips his silver knife tight and lets it fly.

Straight into one of its eyes.

"Boys, get the hell out of there!" he yells as the monster turns on him.

Bobby has about half a second to assess the situation. John was MIA, and the boys were looking in his direction with terror stricken expressions on their faces. Up shit creek without a paddle? Oh yeah, he was there.

The weight that slams into him is incomparable to anything he has ever felt, and he is glad he still has the mind to raise one of his arms to his neck as the evil son of a bitch clamps down hard on his coat.

He can hear the thunderous pounding of his heart and the frantic footfalls of two Winchester boys who are rushing to his side. The monster's jaw is clacking by his neck and claws are gouging into his stomach. Not getting me you son of a bitch, I promised my wife.

He moves one of his hands and yanks the knife from its eyeball, grinning in satisfaction at the terrible noise it made, and then plunges it into the things chest.

It lets out one last howl before all of its weight is pressing down on him and the claws in his gut shift just so.

Bobby must have blacked out because the next thing he knows John is extracting the body from off of him and mumbling orders to his sons.

"Sam, get something to plug up that wound, Dean, help me with this."

"Hang on Bobby, the hard part is over." John mumbles, as he presses his hands to the other man's gut.

"Dad, is he,"

"He's fine!" he yells, voice pitched with panic.

* * *

><p>"<em>I'm going to be fine Ellen."<em>

_She slammed the bar rag on down on the table._

"_I've heard that before Bobby."_

_He winced. "El, I'll be back in no time."_

"_Just wait till Jo is better." she grumbled and Bobby felt a week worth of bickering starting to wear on him._

"_Ellen, I can't just wait. You know that."_

"_Another couple days and she will be a hundred percent and so will I and we can go with you."_

"_Another couple of days and more people will be dead."_

"_Dammit Bobby!" She yelled._

"_What would you like me to do Ellen? Tell the werewolves not to eviscerate anyone for a couple of days! Cause everyone knows that evil monsters have no problems taking other peoples time into consideration!"_

_The fight had raged for another twenty minutes before Jo called out for a bucket miserably._

_When he had left the next night things were not on much better terms, but before Bobby had walked out that door Ellen had gripped him tight and crushed her lips to his face. It wasn't 'goodbye', it was 'you damn well better come back.'_

* * *

><p>"Bobby, can you get up?" John shakes his shoulder roughly as Bobby is jolted back into the here and now.<p>

"Yeah, I'm good." he breathes as Dean snorts.

"I said I'm good boy and don't make me whoop your ass to prove it."

Dean holds up both hands, covered in blood.

Sam runs up with towels.

Bobby grabs onto Johns jacket and pulls him down to his face. "John, how bad is it? I'm going to walk out of here right?"

John eyes cast around.

"Goddammit John! We made a promise to a woman who is going to tan my hide if I don't keep it!" He shakes the eldest Winchester. "So I'm going to be fine," He forces himself up on his elbows. "Right?"

John looks at him for just a minute like he was seeing someone other than Bobby Singer before he jerks his head once.

"Yeah. You'll be fine, you crazy bastard." He thumps him once on the shoulder before getting up.

His stomach is wrapped and then he is helped to his feet and back to his car. He doesn't realize that he is on the passenger side until the door opens and Dean drops into the driver's side.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he wheezes and Dean regards him with a shrug.

"What's commonly known as driving."

Smart ass punk.

"I see that dumb ass What are you doing in my car?"

Dean cranks the key as the car roars to life.

"You were just a chew toy for a werewolf Bobby. Sit back and enjoy the ride."

Bobby grunts as he pulls up in the seat.

"I can drive my own damn car Dean." he starts, reaching for the keys.

Dean swats his hand. "Back off Bobby. I got my orders."

The younger mans' jaw locks and his eyes move back to the road.

Bobby can see 'Dad will kick my ass if I don't do this' written all over his face.

"Fine Dean, fine." He sighs loudly as he leans the seat back.

"Hey Bobby," Dean says quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for covering me and Sam." His eyes slide over to his face for just a second and Bobby thinks that maybe he catches a glimmer of a smile.

"You're welcome..." He grins as he pulls his cap over his eyes. "Idjit."

They pull up into his house and the first thing he notices with a curse is Ellen's car sitting in the driveway.

Dammit, he is supposed to meet up with her tomorrow at the Roadhouse. She is going to kill him.

She runs out to the porch at the sounds of the approaching vehicles, and when she spots him her eyes are pinched and her mouth is a hard line on her face.

Whoever came up with the phrase 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' has obviously met Ellen Harvelle.

"You boys just get back?" Her gaze moves between Dean and Bobby to Sam and John.

"Yeah. Hey Ellen." Dean nods his head towards her and she gives a curt bob of her head.

"How did it go?" She tries to look disinterested but her eyes keeping sliding over to her Bobby.

"Good Ellen, it went," His hands move from his side and she can see the red tint on them.

Her expression landslides into concern as she crosses the few steps to her husband's side.

"Bobby, are you okay?"

"It didn't bite me. Bitch didn't bite me." he huffs as her hands move into his.

"What happened?" She is trying to move his coat and see the injury.

"Ellen, I'll be fine." He moves a strand of hair out of her eyes. " Just need a couple of days to rest."

John is standing behind her now. "Ellen, I checked, he just got scratched. Saved Dean and Sam."

Ellen is nodding, her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She kisses his cheek as she starts to lead him inside. She tosses a quick "Come on in guys." over her shoulder to the other men.

"I promised you Ellen. I promised I'd come back."

"You kept good on your word Singer."

"Ellen," He smiles at her.

"Yeah?"

"Next time I'll wait."

She chuckles as she sets him down on the sofa. "No you won't, but if you did you wouldn't be the man I married. The man I love."

He blushes at that and thinks he owes someone a huge favor for bringing him home to his girls.

_She just had to marry a hunter. Not once, but twice. She must really be a glutton for punishment._

_Her and Bobby have been picking at each other all week and she doesn't know if it's the fact that she hasn't slept in a couple of nights or that her daughter has tagged the bathroom walls with vomit and is running a fever of 101 that has her losing her grip on patience._

_She, herself isn't feeling too great. Bobby and her had arguments over the years but what they were going to do with the Roadhouse and the upcoming hunt with the Winchesters were their newest ones._

_She had tried to sell the Roadhouse off , but could never quite make the final cut. It was the last thing she had of Bills'. Bobby had offered to help her open a new Roadhouse closer to his house, or to move closer to the Roadhouse. Ellen didn't see the need to do that...they were managing just fine the way things were. Or so she thought._

_One of the things she really loved about Bobby was that he was quiet. He didn't say much, but what little he did say meant so much. He didn't cause upset where there didn't need to be any, and he treated Jo like the daughter he never had. But she did hate exactly one thing about him. He was as stubborn as she was. Which is what made fighting with him like throwing pebbles at a wall, and waiting for it to come down._

"_Mom, is this ever going to end?" her fifteen year old moaned from her bed._

"_I hope so." Ellen retorted, having caught the flu herself the day before._

"_I feel like I've lost ten pounds." she grumbles as Ellen passes a hand tenderly over her forehead._

"_You look like you've lost twenty." she whispers as she kisses her daughters fevered head._

"_I guess I don't have to worry about dieting then." she states with a laugh._

_Ellen gets up from the bed with a half smile. "Baby, you're beautiful. Less when you are gagging on all your meals, but you don't have to every worry about that Joanna Beth."_

_Jo rolls her eyes. "Okay Mom, I'm trying to keep my food down and you aren't helping."_

"_Love you too honey." she replies, closing the door behind her._

_Bobby is sitting at the bar when she comes down._

"_How's our girl doing?" he asks._

"_Terrible. She's running a fever on top of everything else."_

_Bobby shakes his head. "Poor thing."_

_Ellen covers her mouth as she feels her stomach churn unpleasantly. _

"_You feel okay?" Bobby is up in a flash as he places a hand on her forehead._

"_Think I caught what Jo had." She whispers._

"_You feel like it too. Hot as hell."_

_Ellen giggles. "You're a charmer Singer."_

_He smiles at her and it's the first time in days that she isn't been annoyed by it._

_And then he has to ruin it all by talking. "Ellen, John called again and he really needs my help."_

_She pushes away from him. "I thought we already talked about this."_

"_No, you talked, I listened. Now we need to try it the other way around."_

"_There isn't anything to listen to Bobby Singer. You know how I feel."_

"_Yeah I do." He sighs loudly. "And you know how I feel. I can't just leave innocent people to die Ellen."_

"_He could ask someone else." She states._

"_No one else is in the area. I am two cities over. It will take me six hours to get there."_

_She looks down at the ground. "Dammit Bobby, just let someone else take care of it. He has Sam and Dean."_

"_He said he needs help Ellen. He wouldn't have asked if he didn't need it. When our friends call for help we help them."_

_Ellen felt her blood boil just under the surface._

"_Don't talk to me like I'm a child!" she growls._

_Bobby hangs his head. "Ellen, I'm not going to fight with you. I'll be back in a couple of days." He looks up into her eyes. "I promise."_

_As he turns to leave, anxiety grips her heart in her chest and she feels her whole body itch with the need to move._

_She races to him and grabs him close to her, breathing in his scent and hoping that all of this fear she has is unfounded. Her lips are fast and quick on his and when he nods towards her and dips his head to plant one more kiss on her lips, she knows he has gotten the message. You better come back Singer._

_She hasn't heard from him all day. Sure he's on a hunt and sure she's madder than hell at him, but that doesn't give him the right to not call her. She stares at the phone like it's the most interesting thing she has ever seen. She tries to tell herself she is being silly, but all she can think about is the look of distress on John Winchesters face when he walked into her bar covered in her husband's blood so many years ago._

_She can't stand it anymore as she loads her recuperating, mostly just cranky now, daughter into her car and drives to his house. She knows they are supposed to meet up tomorrow, but that is too many hours away and every minute she doesn't hear from him supplies her mind with images of his mangled figure._

"_You okay Mom?" Jo asks, touching a hand to her elbow._

"_Oh yeah. Of course." she replies with a forced smile._

"_I'm worried about him too." Jo confides and Ellen folds her hand into her daughters._

"_He promised he'd be back. " she whispers._

_Jo squeezes her fingers. "Then he'll be back."_

_Jo had just gone upstairs to bed fifteen minutes before Ellen hears the familiar rattle of his car pulling into the driveway._

_She's outside before she even thinks about it, scanning the men for her husband. Her seemingly fine husband. _

_Dean greets her and Ellen gazes moves over all of them gauging damage. John looks worried and has a gash across his head, Sam looks tired and gives her a half wave, Dean looks relieved and Bobby looks...she can't quite place how he looks._

_He moves his hands and all she sees is red._

_Please God, no._

_John is instantly at her side letting her know it's just a scratch, not a bite, just a scratch. Thank God. He is going to be fine._

_She was so certain that something terrible was going to happen to him. So certain. _

_She leads them inside, throwing an invitation to the other men over her shoulder before tending to her husband._

_Halfway through the stitches he informs her that he is feeling a bit dizzy and then passes out. Ellen tries not to laugh. _

_The Winchesters stay in the spare bedroom up the stairs and Ellen curls up next to Bobby on the couch._

_When she wakes up in the morning to Bobby's eyes fluttering open she is shocked by the irony of a similar scene on this couch many years ago. It had even been a stomach wound as well if she remembers correctly. He'd been taking care of her for years, it was her turn._

"_Morning." he mumbles and yawns._

"_Morning yourself." she replies, stretching away from him._

"_Ellen I," Bobby tries to cut right to the chase._

"_No Bobby. It's my turn in this dance."_

_His eyebrows knit together in confusion. _

"_I'm closing the Roadhouse." She announces and his blue eyes widen._

"_What? No Ellen, you don't have to," She stops him with a kiss._

"_It's time Bobby. **You** are my husband."_

"_I never wanted you to," he sighs. "I never thought,"_

"_I know," she breathes. "Bobby, I know."_

_He nods. "Are you sure?"_

_She looks into his eyes and sees all of their history written in them._

_Her mouth lifts up in a smile. It's time to let Bill go. It's time._

_She knows without a doubt that it is the right thing to do when she touches her forehead to his and murmurs. "I'm sure."_


	9. Chapter 9

**A.N.: Hello all! Sorry this one took me so long, I brought back an under-appreciated character though so hopefully you will forgive me. Thanks as always for reading. I'm constantly humbled by the amount of love this little story has gotten. Be on the lookout for those lovable Winchesters the next chapter. Thanks to Dorothy for betaing this as always. :-D Hope you like!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

Bobby thinks he's too old for this crap as he holds the trash bin in front of the young man currently evicting all the contents of his stomach. Ellen smiles wearily at him, and shrugs her shoulder as she picks up the graveyard of bottles around the bar.

"I'm a genius." the man breathes, smiling sloppily at Bobby.

"Well Einstein I think your liver might disagree with you." Bobby grumbles, pushing away from the trashcan and the man next to it.

"No really, bonifide smartypants here!" he declares, grinning.

Ellen passes a cloth to the male as he swipes at his mouth.

"Alright, I'll bite. If you are so smart, what are you doing down here in your own mess Plato?"

The man squints at Bobby shaking his head. "I got into a fight." He mumbles and Bobby laughs at the thought of this string bean doing much damage to anybody.

Bobby leans back on his heels with a half grin. "A fight huh? What for?"

The man burps in the back of his throat, scrubbing the cloth across his face before he looks from Bobby to Ellen. "I did it for a girl." he sighs.

Bobby nods. "Yeah, that sounds about right." and chuckles as his wife swipes a hand at his head.

"She weren't just any girl either. She had sunshine hair, and eyes made of diamonds." He chuckles. "I write poems too."

Ellen bends down to pat the young man consolingly on the shoulder. "I'm sure they are lovely, what do you say we join the rest the world up here on our feet." she suggests, putting on arm around him.

He nods as Bobby grabs one of his hands to finish getting the man upright.

"Now," Ellen pats his shoulder once more. "We are gonna get some food and water in ya and you might even start feeling human again."

Bobby smiles at his wife over the top of the mop of yellow hair. She was always so good at taking care of strays.

"Thank ya kindly," He breaks off and stares at her as if he is trying to recall a name he can't quite remember.

"Ellen. Ellen Singer." She grips his arm and with Bobby's help guides him to a chair.

"Ellen. That's real pretty."

She chuckles. "Hold your horses Romeo, this is Bobby." her free hand finds her husband. "He's my husband."

Bobby never gets tired of hearing that.

"Right!" he cries as he clamps a hand on the older man's arm. "Meant no disrespect, you have a fine woman here."

"Don't I know it kid." Bobby says, taking the water bottle from Ellen and plopping it in front of the tipsy male.

"I'm Ash." he grins, twisting the cap from the water bottle to splash the contents down his throat.

Ellen shoves a sandwich in front of him and Ash flashes a grateful look before he bites into it with a contented sigh.

The man just seems to be sobering up when Jo comes bounding in the door, backpack swinging from her shoulder.

"Hey Bobby, hey mom!" She calls, tossing her bag into a booth and walking over towards them.

Ash drops his food back into the plate.

"Hey sweetie, good day?"

"Oh you know, the usual, pep rally, ra- ra." Jo says dryly as she rolls her eyes.

Bobby thinks maybe she got the tone from him.

Ellen sighs. "You could try to like it like everybody else."

"I hate it. Cheerleaders," Jo pauses to shudder dramatically. "They are so freaking annoying."

Ash is still just staring at her.

"Who's the new guy?" she asks with a jerk of her head, blonde hair swaying with the movement.

Bobby chuckles at his reaction. Jo was a looker, that was sure, and now he was just waiting for the younger man to start spouting his poetry.

"He said his name is Ash." Ellen says, as she looks from Ash to her daughter.

"Ash huh?" Jo says, catching the chair opposite of him with her foot and sitting down.

He is still just staring.

"I'm not going to sleep with you." Jo announces.

"Joanna Beth!" Ellen cries.

"Now that we have that out of the way, hi, I'm Jo."

Ash takes the hand that is extended towards him.

"Well hell Bobby, you have your hands full."

Bobby nods his head. "That's an understatement."

Jo and Ellen both swat him with a feigned indignant. "Hey!"

Ellen ends up bringing the kid home. Because she really does have a bleeding heart for strays and hell, Bobby sort of likes him. She states that she is going to give him a job as a busboy at the bar she works at and he can't help but just love her all the more. Bobby doesn't know how he hasn't ended up with his house over run by dogs and abandoned kids.

The relationship between Jo and Ash quickly shifts into a brother and sister one and Bobby is extremely grateful. He's even more grateful when Ash moves out a week later. Cause he sure likes the kid, but damn, he eats like Dean.

Jo starts dating after that and he's tired of boys drooling all over his girl. He has already had several arguments with Ellen over 'No you cannot answer the door with a shotgun.' because he would really like these boys to know that if they make Jo cry they will be met with a barrel of his weapon of choice.

Ellen thinks it's cute. Bobby is out of his element, not ever having his own flesh and blood to dote upon. Jo is annoyed by it all, annoyed by school, annoyed by the fact that her contenders are either too fast or slow for her and Bobby thinks maybe it comes with the territory of being seventeen.

So, when she comes back from a date and looks upset and Ellen is still at work, Bobby has to fight the urge not to grab his gun and track the son of a bitch down who did this. Instead he paces outside of her door until she calls out.

"You're wearing a hole in the carpet, just come in already."

Bobby pushes the door open and is greeted by the sight of Jo sitting on the end of her bed, worrying her bottom lip.

He hates to see her so distressed, but doesn't know what the right response is.

"I'm not going to bite Bobby." Jo sighs.

"Sorry kid, I'm new to this."

"Yeah, I know." She weaves a hand into her hair.

"We can talk you know?" he has to clear his throat twice before he says this.

Jo scoffs. "Bobby, you look like you're going to faint."

"What?" He smirks at her. "Naw I'm good."

Jo stands and appears to shake off her funk. "We don't have to talk."

Bobby tries not to let out a sigh of relief. "You seem a bit upset. You sure?"

Jo nods as she pulls her hair back into a ponytail. "Yeah, I'm sure. There is something you could do for me."

Bobby has no trouble answering her this time. "Anything."

"Okay, but you can't tell Mom."

Damn, he really should have thought this one out.

* * *

><p>She's a natural. She has no problem gripping the knife by the hilt and letting it fly into the trees behind the house. Bobby has a sinking suspicion that she has done this before.<p>

He's impressed at her level of concentration even as he keeps peeking around the side for his wife.

"Mom's car is loud as hell. You'll hear her coming." Jo states.

"I know that," he digs his hands into his pockets. "Why are we doing this Jo?"

"Because it makes me feel better."

"Okay, why would your mom be mad about that?"

"Because she would think it has to do with hunting."

"Well, does it?"

"No, I just throw knives for fun."

Bobby blushes. "Hey, you could be training for the circus. Hell if I know what's going on in your head these days Jo."

Jo's hand stills as she looks back at Bobby. Her eyes are full of emotions he can't decipher.

"Johnny Newton doesn't like me." She whispers as her hand rears back and she lets the knife fly.

Bobby is having a hard time keeping up with what the hell she is talking about, but he can hear the anguish in her voice.

"Johnny Newton, that punk that came to pick you up ten minutes late last week?"

"Yeah." Another knife flies and knocks the first one to the ground.

"Why would you think he doesn't like you?"

"He called me a freak."

Bobby felt his hands clench in his pockets.

Jo takes a shaky breath. "I showed him this," she pauses to retrieve a knife from her pocket.

Bobby can see the indent of the W.A.H.

"Jo," he starts.

"He said 'what the hell are you doing carrying a knife around?'" She says as she moves the treasure back to her pocket.

"Jo,"

"I tried to tell him it was my dad's but he saw my purse and I have holy water and some other stuff in it. He grabbed it and dumped it in a panic and then he jumped out of his car and was yelling about me being a freak," Jo breaks off and Bobby can see tears cutting a path down her face.

"I really liked him and he called me a freak, I thought he liked me too." She drops her head and arm in defeat.

"Jo," Bobby begins as he rests his hand on her cheek. "He's a moron."

Bobby has only seen Jo cry a handful of times and the tug on his heart is damn near palpable.

"Listen to me." He says as his other hand comes around to brush at the tears on her cheeks. "You are not a freak. You're a Harvelle."

"I know." She mumbles and tries to duck her head again.

Bobby tilts her chin up. "No, you ain't listening Jo. You're a Harvelle. Which means you're stubborn and smart and quick as a whip, but you are not a freak. You were too much for that little shit to handle." Bobby states.

She smiles watery at him. "You may be new at this, but you aren't half bad."

Bobby kisses the top of her head. "Thanks."

Jo swipes at her tears. "Can we not tell Mom about this?" she asks, gesturing to the knife throwing.

Bobby shakes his head with a groan. "I can't lie to your mom Jo."

"I know." She nods. "Dammit."

"Sorry kid, we have this whole honesty thing going on. You want me to tell her?"

Jo shakes her head as she bends to pick up the fallen knives.

"No, I guess I better do it."

Bobby laughs a bit at that. "You want me to kill him?"

"Do you know anything that will make him hideously ugly?" She says as the head back to the house.

Bobby throws an arm around her shoulders as she leans into him. "I know a witch that owes me a favor."

Jo laughs and it's worth all of the awkwardness in the world to hear that one perfect sound.

"Thanks," she replies and leans up to kiss his cheek. "Dad."

_It was going to be a slow day she thought, as she pulled into the empty parking lot of the bar On the Rocks._

_After selling the Roadhouse, Ellen had tried her hand at being waitress just shy of a month. It wasn't that she didn't have the skill or that the money was bad. It was that people were so damn rude that she had to fight the urge to spit in their coffee. She missed giving advice to people who stumbled into her bar and swapping stories as she sobered them back up. So she was happy to be getting back to what she was comfortable with, and the bar was ten minutes from her home so everything was working out perfectly._

_She walked inside to see just one single man pouring himself a drink, his eyes already glazed over with drunkenness._

"_Hey Tom!" She calls out and the owner turns to her._

"_Ellen."_

"_What's the story with this one?"_

_Her boss shrugs one shoulder. "Don't know."_

_Ellen is walking behind the bar now. "Did you ask?"_

_Tom shakes his head with a humorless laugh. "We don't get paid extra to care Ellen."_

"_Man's been swimming in the bottom of a bottle and you don't ask why?"_

_Tom shakes his head again as he places the keys in her hand. "Thank God we got you Ellen. Now he can hug and cry all his problems out onto your shoulder." He pats her once on the back and disappears through the back door._

_Ellen would really like to punch his lights out, but as with most bosses she doesn't have to deal with him much because he is very rarely there._

_The man looks a couple years older than Jo and he is tapping one hand in a staccato rhythm on the bar._

_She goes to approach him and starts as she hears the rumble of her husband's car cut off. She is almost at the door when he comes through it._

"_Hey Bobby, thought you were out with Rufus today."_

_He smiles at her. "I was. Turns out possessed house was rats."_

_She chuckles. "Rats?"_

"_Yeah. Whole nest of them holed up in the walls."_

_She shivers. "Well that's not creepy at all."_

_Bobby snorts. "Yeah."_

_His arm goes around her waist. "You off today then?"_

"_Looks like." He kisses her on the cheek. "One lone customer? What's his story?"_

_Ellen pulls away from him. "Good question. Haven't had a chance to find out yet."_

_Bobby takes a step forward. "Don't think you're gonna either." he takes another couple of steps._

"_Why's that?" Ellen asks as Bobby dives for the trashcan just as the blonde mop of hair vanishes into the bin with a violent heave._

_Bobby looks a mixture of disgusted and concerned as he grumbles. "Because it's a little hard to talk through all the vomit."_

_Ellen shakes her head with a snort as she watches Bobby move to catch the kid from coming off of the stool. _

"_You need help?"_

_Bobby meets her eyes. "No, I think I got it. Thanks."_

"_So much for a day off huh?" She says over the strangled gasping sound coming from the trashcan._

"_Yeah I traded in rats for the evils of alcohol." he states dryly, his hand rubbing a soothing pattern on the shaking form of the man beside him._

_His head finally rises from the mess he projected to utter, "I'm a genius." with a sloppy smile._

"_Well Einstein I think your liver might disagree with you." Bobby retorts._

_There is a short exchange of words between the two of them and then she and Bobby are maneuvering his body into a chair. It doesn't escape Ellen's attention that Bobby is so heartrendingly gentle with him. He would have been a wonderful father if given the chance._

_The rest of the day after Jo came home from school went by in a blur. And at the end of the night when the man she had come to know as Ash dragged himself out of the bar with a sad. "I'll see y'all later." Ellen shot a sad look to her husband. Her husband who nodded his head with a tug of the top of his cap. God she loves this man._

"_Ash," she begins, taking the few steps to his side. "We have a spare bedroom if you need a place to stay."_

_His eyes light up in his bruised face. "Really?"_

_Jo is at her mother's side now too. "Yeah, Bobby's house is huge. Plenty of room."_

"_Well, I don't know." he starts and Bobby coughs off to the side._

"_What are you trying to be prideful for boy? You left that at the bottom of the trashcan, remember?"_

_Ash chuckles. "You're right, I did. Hell, don't think I had much to begin with."_

_Bobby pulls his car door open. "I don't know. That trashcan was pretty full." _

_Ash full on laughs at that._

_Bobby looks back to the three of them under the flickering bar light. "You waiting for a formal invitation? Get in."_

_Ash grins at the two women before loping over to the car._

_Jo turns her face towards her mom as Bobby's engine roars to life. _

"_Can we keep him Mom? Please?" she teases as Ellen lightly shoves her daughter._

"_Get in the damn car before I leave your ass here."_

_Jo laughs. "You always say that."_

_It's nice having Ash stay with them. Nice...and expensive. She is relieved if not a little sad when he moves out a week later. Jo is sad because she had finally found a friend who was not put off by the life she was raised in._

_Ellen has been trying to push her daughter into normalcy one step at a time and of course Jo has been fighting her every step of the way. Ellen suggests cheer leading, Jo suggests training, Ellen suggests a job, Jo suggests being taken on a job. Her daughter is infuriating, and Ellen loves her so much she thinks her heart with break with it. But hunting...no, that is not something she will share with Jo. She will keep Jo as far away from the horror of the life if she has anything to say about it. History will not be repeating itself with Joanna Harvelle, even if she has to hate her, at least she will be alive to do it._

_So when Jo says she needs to talk to her about something following the recent string of dates she has had Ellen is terrified that her daughter is about to tell her she is pregnant._

_She is completely unprepared for Jo to pull out her father's knife and set it on the kitchen table._

"_What's this?" she asks._

"_Dad's knife." her daughter replies as she stares at her feet. The motion makes her look about five years old when she does that._

"_I can see that. Why's it on the table?"_

_Jo meets her mother's eyes head on as she pulls a bottle of holy water from her purse, followed by a canister of salt and finally a set of throwing knives._

"_Joanna Beth,"_

"_Mom, wait, I can explain." Jo says._

"_The explanation better be you are holding onto Bobby's stuff in your purse for no damn good reason."_

_Jo shuffles on her feet. "It's not."_

_Ellen's eyes narrow on her fidgeting daughter. "You better speak up fast sugarpie cause my mind is adding up to all sort of unpleasant conclusions right now."_

"_Mom, look I," Jo pauses as she tugs one hand through her hair with a frustrated grunt. "Okay here goes nothing. I've been practicing."_

"_Practicing what exactly?"_

"_Throwing knives, laying down salt lines, memorizing exorcism rites, hunting stuff." Her feet are planted and her whole body stands rigid._

"_Son of a bitch. Please tell me you are joking Jo." Ellen breathes._

"_No, I'm not. I'm serious about this mom, this is what I want to do. Help people, save people, like you do sometimes and Bobby,"_

"_Bobby is a grown man! He knows what he is getting into when he goes out there, and he is good at what he does."_

"_I could be to! I graduate in seven months, I could be great!" Jo yells as she puffs out her chest. "Bobby thinks," she begins._

"_Bobby knows!" Ellen roars and regret slams into Jo's face._

"_Just since yesterday. He wanted to tell you, but I asked him to wait cause I was going to tell you. Mom, don't get mad at him, it was just since yesterday I swear." Jo puts a hand to her mothers elbow._

_Ellen looks hurt. "Why did you tell him before you told me?"_

"_Cause he was here. You were at work, that's all Mom."_

_Ellen shook her head with a choked sound. "Well I am glad you told me, but it stops now."_

_Jo pulls back from her like she's been slapped. '"What? Why? I told you so I didn't have to lie to you anymore. I told you so **you** could teach me."_

_Ellen steels her gaze into her daughters. "We are done talking about this Joanna Beth Harvelle."_

_Jo's eyes fill with tears. "What the hell Mom? This is what I want!"_

_Ellen's heart breaks as she says. "I don't care what you want, this is not happening."_

_Jo scoffs. "I hate you." and turns to flee out the front door._

_Bobby comes home with flowers that night._

"_She said she hates me." Ellen says as his hand find hers._

"_She's seventeen, she hates everything." he replies._

"_Am I wrong Bobby?" She asks, tears slipping out and down her face._

"_You want to keep her safe. You're not wrong."_

_She nods her head._

"_She's good though El, you would be," _

_Ellen stops him with a gasp. "Not now Bobby, just...it might be the truth, but not now."_

_Bobby smiles sadly at her as he takes a seat across from her. "Okay Ellen."_

_She wipes at her eyes._

"_Actually she really sucks."_

_She chortles even as more tears run down her face. "Thanks Bobby."_

_The next day when Jo comes home from school she is still not speaking to her and all she does is shoot a glare in her direction when she sees the stack of college applications on the table._

"_Try not to spell anything wrong or I'll have to go get more." Ellen says._

_Jo drops into the chair with a sigh as she yanks out a pen. _

_She may hate her today, but she will be alive tomorrow._


	10. Chapter 10

**A.N.: Here we are in chapter 10! You still enjoying it? Cause I am! This chapter has a bit of Sam and Dean (cause I was missing them as much as you were;-]) And, as much as it broke my heart, the Impala is the mustang in this universe. It just seems wrong to have our boys in anything other than the Impala * sigh * As always a huge, Sam sized THANK YOU to Dorothy for giving me input and cleaning up my chapters. Here's looking at you kid! :P Hope you enjoy and thanks as always for reading! :D**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine...not matter how much I beg, and cry, and scream. :P**

Bobby curls around his wife, hoping that by just willing it, the sun will stay down a few minutes longer. His wish goes unanswered as an unruly streak of light spears into the bedroom. Ellen sighs, contented in his arms, and shifts around to greet him with a soft kiss.

"Morning husband."

"Morning El."

She is already getting up and out of the bed, snagging her robe from the hook by the door.

"What do you want for breakfast?" she calls out as the door closes.

Bobby sits up with a smile. "Whatever you can churn out that's edible."

She opens the door with a mock gasp. "Well then Martha Stewart, why don't you cook?"

Bobby swings his legs over the side of the bed as he teases her. "Me in the kitchen? That's a woman's job."

Ellen snorts and chucks her robe at his head. "Well then you better get on down there." she retorts, wearing nothing but a smirk on her face.

Bobby blinks at her for just a moment before the door closes again.

The sound of the shower coming on is heard about half a second before she says. "You gonna stare slack-jawed at the door or you gonna come in here and do something about it?" She giggles at the end and Bobby is in the bathroom in the blink of an eye.

Oh yeah, it's going to be a good day.

She shoves the plate of eggs in front of him as she seats herself on the opposite side of the table.

Bobby bites heartily into one of the eggs as Ellen smiles coyly over her glass of orange juice.

It's a trade off, the way they live now. With Jo off to college (forced by her mother's hand) the house is quiet and peaceful and occasionally lonely. But with no one in the house but his wife and him...damn, it was almost like being newlyweds again.

"Jo's coming home in a month or so. School break."

Bobby chews his toast and smiles as he watches his wife's eyes light up.

"Yeah. That's good. It will be nice to have her back."

Ellen nods. "Yeah, it will. It's been quiet without her here."

Bobby looks up at Ellen, trying to decipher if she is happy or sad about their current living arrangements.

She swipes the piece of toast from his hand, nibbling on the corner of it. "Not a bad quiet though." She winks.

He is going to get out of his chair and reclaim the stolen piece of food, and maybe his wife's lips while he's at it, when his cell phone chirps in his pocket.

"Dammit," he grumbles as he digs it out of the denim hole.

He can see Winchester blinking at him from the screen and he wonders idly what the hell kinda mess John has gotten himself into now as he flips the phone open.

"Yeah?" he asks, expecting to hear the eldest Winchester reluctantly explain that he has screwed up and gotten himself into a heap of trouble...again.

What he does hear is a long, drawn out sigh followed by "Bobby?"

It's not the Winchester he was expecting. "Sam?"

"Yeah," he pauses and Bobby hears a rattle of noise. "I uh...I need your help."

Ellen moves to his side, curiosity on her face.

"Sure son, what do you need?"

Ellen raises an eyebrow as Bobby mouths 'Sam' to her.

"It's Dad."

Bobby figured as much. "What did he do now? Is Dean okay? Where are you at?"

Another sigh. "Dean's...well he's..."

"Spit it out son." Bobby replies as his heart speeds up in his chest. Something is wrong, he just knows it.

"Dad's dead." his voice breaks on the other end.

Bobby tightens his grip on the cell. "Sam, where are you?"

"Uh...Dell Rapids, we are in a motel. Motel 8, Dell Rapids."

Bobby slides his jacket on with one arm. "Okay, listen to me Sam. I'm going to be there in twenty minutes...is your brother?" he breaks off not able to link Dean with death.

"He's okay. We're okay, just...hurry. Please."

"On my way." Bobby snaps the phone shut as he pulls his keys out of his jacket.

"Bobby, what is it?" Ellen asks as she follows him to the door.

He turns around and pulls Ellen into his arms. "It's John El. He's dead."

"He's what? How?" She gasps into his shirt.

"I don't know. I got to go get the boys." He pulls away from her.

She has tears in her eyes. "Do you want me to come with you?"

He shakes his head. "I don't know what shape they are in. I'm bringing em back though, I'll see you soon."

* * *

><p>Sam is sitting outside the motel, head hung between his knees when Bobby pulls up. The younger man lifts his face with a forced smile that looks more like a grimace.<p>

"Sam."

"Hey Bobby." He pulls to his feet to clasp his hand in the older man's.

"Jesus Sam, you look like hell. What happened? I talked to you two days ago and Dean was on the mend and your dad was fine."

Sam runs a hand through his shaggy hair. "Yeah, they were um...when you and Ellen were on your way back from that vamp hunt in Minnesota, Dean woke up. And Dad was fine, but..."

"But what? What happened?"

Sam blinked back tears. "I was getting him coffee, he was talking to Dean and then he was just...gone." His Adam's apple bobs up and down in his throat.

"Shit. Sam, I'm sorry. Do you know what got him?"

Sam shakes his head vigorously. "No. No, he just died. Heart attack they are saying, but we know better huh?" he chuckles darkly.

Bobby pulls his cap off of his head and runs a hand along his face. "So what can I do to help Sam?" he grips onto the youngest Winchesters elbow, not wanting to be intrusive, but the kid looks so wrecked.

"I'm okay, but the mustang. She's totaled. And Dean," he pauses as the door swings open behind him.

Dean stumbles out in the light, shielding his eyes with a hand that is currently occupied with a beer.

"Heyya Bobby. When did you get here?" He slurs, leaning one hand on his younger brother to try and keep his feet.

Sam turns and eases the beer bottle out of his hand as sad smile on his face as he does it. "Bobby came to look at the car remember?"

Dean turns with a sloppy grin towards the older man. "Right my baby! You got to check her out doc, fix her up so Sammy and I can get back to work."

Sam and Bobby exchange looks and now Bobby knows exactly why he was called. The kid was doing his best, but dealing with Winchesters was always handled better when in numbers.

Bobby grabbed Dean by his shirt and gave him a quick shake. "Listen up. We'll get the Stang looked at and then tow it back to my place, you and Sam are going to pack your shit and get in my car nice and quiet like."

"Don't need a babysitter." Dean grumbles as he shoves off of the man.

"I'm sorry, what part of 'nice and quiet like' didn't you understand?" Bobby mutters back at him.

Sam reaches out and steadies his brother with a quick nod to Bobby. "You got it Bobby. I'll have us packed in five." he states, shoving his brother back towards the motel room.

Bobby sighs.

The mustang is trashed and Bobby has to try hard not to wince at the image that the warped metal is calling up in his mind. Dammit John...what did you do?

Dean says nothing as he helps Bobby hook his baby up to the back of the Chevelle, only stopping to vomit by his car. He bucks off Sam's arm of concern and grumbles. "We going or what?"

Sam casts a sad look to Bobby as he crawls into the back seat.

It takes him an hour to get home and Ellen is waiting for them on the front porch, worry creasing lines into her forehead.

"Looks like you pissed off the little woman." Dean chuckles as Sam calls out. "Dean, shut up!"

"Dude, I didn't mean it in a bad way. Everyone is so damn sensitive."

Bobby turns around in his seat. "Dean, I know you are chock full of alcohol right now so I'm going to try to explain things to you in a way you can understand. You. Stay. Here." He glares at him and then turns towards Sam. "Keep your idjit brother from doing anything stupid...er."

Sam nods his head. "Yeah. Thanks Bobby."

He watches as Ellen's eyes track his movement before shifting to the car. Her eyebrows rise up into her hairline as she breathes. "My god."

"Ellen, the boys are okay, car's beat up plenty and they will have some scars, but they are okay."

She leans onto his shoulder. "Thank God. And John?"

Bobby jerks his head once. "He's gone. Couldn't get much out of them."

Ellen pats his back. "Plenty of room here."

"Tried to tell them as much on the way over, but Dean's drunk as a skunk and Sam was playing mother hen in the back seat."

Ellen scoffs. "Won't be the first jackass I have had to sober up."

Bobby rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah Mother Theresa, just help me get his wasted ass out of the car."

Ellen laughs slightly as she follows her husband's trek to his car.

* * *

><p>It's two days later when Bobby has gotten sick of the silence and tension in the house. He can see the sweat slicked dark blonde hair sticking out from the mangled frame of the mustang.<p>

He sets the tall, chilled glass down by the wheels. "Ellen made lemonade, and lunch will be ready in twenty."

There is a grunt and series of curse words. "No thanks. A bit busy."

Bobby leans down and takes a wrench from the toolbox by the hood.

"You need help?"

"Nope." A thunk as a hammer slams into something. Bobby snorts softly at how much it reminds him or himself in younger days.

"Look Dean," he pauses and leans up against the hood.

"I got it Bobby. I don't need your help." his tone is clipped and definitely conveys the message of 'leave me the hell alone.'

Bobby's been walking on eggshells with the kid for two long days, ignoring the powerful stench of alcohol that has continuously wafted off of him. But he is done playing nice and staying quiet, dammit.

Bobby gets down on his knees and ends up on his back side by side with Dean Winchester. "You want it done fast kid, or you want it done right?"

Dean glances at him sideways, pride and acceptance fighting for control of his face. Finally, after a tense stare down, he shifts over an inch or so giving Bobby the room he needs to work.

They work in silence for about ten minutes before Dean grumbles. "Thanks."

Bobby chuffes his shoulder with his own. "You could thank me by eating. Ellen is thinking her food ain't any good."

Dean laughs and it is the first not-forced sound he has heard from him in days. "Hey, I didn't marry her so you can't hold me to that."

The older man whacks his knuckles lightly with the wrench. "Be nice Dean...or **I'll** be the one cooking."

Dean grimaces. "Stick to cars Bobby." He reaches up to tighten a bolt. "For all our sakes."

Bobby bites back a laugh at the comment.

_Ellen wishes she could spend eternity here, locked in the arms of the man she loves, completely carefree. In the early hours of the morning she doesn't' think about her strained relationship with her daughter, or the fact that she spends more days than not terrified that that whatever quip she told Bobby over the phone will be the last thing she ever utters to him. But in the morning, when the sun is just peeking over the horizon and she can snuggle into the safety of his arms where nothing bad can happen, she is remorse to ever have to leave that place._

_She sighs as she feels Bobby's breathing stutter for half a second before he grouses into the side of her neck. He seems to be just as discontented as her to have to face the day._

_She shifts in his arms to kiss his lips softly in greeting._

"_Morning husband."_

_His eyes are sleepy and his face is creased from the sheets when he breathes back, "Morning El."_

_She gets up from the bed, pulling her robe from the hook on the door._

_Bobby flings back a witty remark at her request for what she wants for breakfast and Ellen thinks with an internal chuckle that they will be bantering when they are too old to remember what they are bantering about._

_She throws a witticism at him and then decides 'what the hell' and tosses her robe at him as well._

_His eyes widen like saucers as she smirks at him as she closes the door again._

_She waits half a second before she throws out one last comment and hears the steady rush of feet to the bathroom door. She has just enough time to laugh quietly before Bobby is shoving into the shower with an awed look. She gets a thrill that he still looks at her in disbelief and incredibility every time he sees her in her birthday suit._

_Ellen is cooking eggs and thinking about sex. Jesus, she is staring at the eggs crackling in the pan and wondering when the next time she can jump her husband's bones is. And Bobby even makes eating toast look sexy. She feels like a damn teenage watching him nibble on the piece of toast. And yeah, she misses Jo. She misses the way her daughter lit up a room and fired her up and kept her on her toes._

_But she would be lying if she said that she wasn't enjoying the alone time with Bobby as well. She swipes the piece of toast from him with an impish grin taking a bite._

_He gets up from his seat with an equally mischievous smile and she is humming with anticipation when his phone rings._

_Damn._

_He fumbles with the phone in his hand before issuing a terse. "Yeah?"_

_She can tell he does not expect the voice that comes out of the phone._

_She moves closer to him as he mouths 'Sam' to her._

_She can't hear what the youngest Winchester is saying on the other end, but she watches as Bobby's face shifts to varying degrees of concern._

_And then he is death gripping the phone, and she knows that something is wrong._

_He starts to pull his jacket on and demands to know Sam's location before he slams the phone shut._

"_Bobby, what is it?" she inquires as she follows him to the door._

_Please, don't let anyone be dead. Please, don't let anyone be dead._

_He pivots on his feet and crushes her to his chest. "It's John, El. He's dead."_

_Her heart stops in her chest. "He's what? How?"_

"_I don't know. I got to go get the boys." He pulls away from her._

_She can feel the useless wetness pooling in her eyes. "Do you want me to come with you?"_

_He dips his head. "I don't know what shape they are in. I'm bringing em back though, I'll see you soon." _

_She focuses on the sight of Bobby driving away until she can't see him anymore and then she cries._

_After she has managed to pull herself together she calls Jo and gets her voice mail._

_She proceeds to leave a stupid, overly affection voice mail on her daughter's phone and doesn't care if she will get hell for it later._

_She can't remember the last time she spoke to John Winchester, and that thought has more tears rushing to her eyes._

_The home phone trills from the wall and she picks it up with a choked "Hello?"_

"_Ellen?"_

_She clears her throat and tries again. "What's up Bobby?"_

"_Are you," he begins._

"_Fine." She cuts him off before she has to elaborate just how 'fine' she is not. "How are the boys?"_

_She can hear Bobby move the phone to his other ear as he scoffs. "Happy and healthy. We're playing road trip games as we speak."_

"_That bad huh?"_

_Her husband sighs. "Worse."_

_Ellen leans up against the door jam. "Okay, well bring them home Bobby."_

"_On my way now."_

_She has never been much for sitting and waiting, so after ten minutes of wiping the place down for no reason (because she really doubts either of the remaining Winchesters are going to give a crap about cleanliness) she drags herself out to the porch and watches for Bobby's car._

_It pulls up into the junkyard twenty minutes after she began her vigil on the porch._

_Her eyes follow her husband as he steps out the car taking in the mustang. Or what's left of her anyway._

"_My god."_

_Bobby's arm goes around her shoulders. "Ellen, the boys are okay, car's beat up plenty and they will have some scars, but they are okay."_

_She leans all of her weight into him. "Thank God. And John?" It's a long shot, but maybe...just maybe._

_Bobby dips his head hard. "He's gone. Couldn't get much out of them."_

_Her gaze moves to the car as she takes notice of the occupants in there. The shell shocked occupants._

"_Plenty of room here."_

"_Tried to tell them as much on the way over, but Dean's drunk as a skunk and Sam was playing Mother Hen in the back seat."_

_She scoffs. "Won't be the first jackass I have had to sober up."_

_He rolls his eyes at her and for just a moment she forgets about the awful situation they have been thrust into. _

"_Yeah, yeah Mother Theresa just help me get his wasted ass out of the car."_

_Ellen snickers slightly as she follows him to the car. Saint Ellen, she likes the sound of that._

* * *

><p><em>It's been two days of awkward silences. Two days too long.<em>

_Bobby all but drags Dean into the house for lunch and for the first time in days he actually eats his food. It's a start and not something she is looking in the mouth._

_After the table has been cleared Bobby thumps the younger man on the shoulder. "Let's get back out there and get some work done."_

_Dean scoffs and tips an imaginary hat at Ellen. "Ellen. Delicious as always."_

"_If it's that good than maybe you should try for an encore at dinner."_

_Dean groans and Ellen is reminded for the umpteenth time that he grew up without a mother._

_Sam rises from the table. "She has a point Dean."_

"_Fine. I'll eat."He pauses to shoot a pointed glare at Sam. "Mom."_

_Sam winces as the door slams behind Bobby and his brother._

_Ellen can hear her husband grumble. "Don't be an asshole just cause you can." and then a thump in what she assumes is Dean getting smacked._

"_Son of a bitch!" Yup,he definitely got smacked._

_Sam drifts past her and into the kitchen, his hands full of dishes from their recent meal._

_She follows him into the kitchen as he begins to run hot water into the sink._

"_Sam, honey, you don't need to do that."_

_He turns back to her with a fake smile. "It's no big deal. Dean makes messes and I clean them up." He laughs as he pours a generous amount of soap into the fast filling sink. He laughs bitterly. "Wow, I didn't mean that as bitchy as it came out."_

_His hands move furiously over the dirty objects as Ellen moves closer to him._

"_Seriously Sam, I can take care of the dishes."_

_Sam's head bolts up and she can see the desolation in his eyes. "I'm fine."_

_Her hand reaches out to take the sponge from his fist and she almost burns herself on the scalding water._

"_Shit! You trying to cook yourself boy?"_

_He drops his gaze to the water and his quickly reddening hands. "Sorry. I didn't realize, I just wanted to help."_

_She pats his hand consolingly. "Nothing to get all worked up about. I never could handle much heat."_

_His eyes travel to her face before flitting to the window where Bobby and Dean are working on the car in the distance. And Dean is smiling, an expression, although short lived, that Sam had spent two days trying to coax out of his brother._

"_I just want to help." his voice drops to a whisper and Ellen has the feeling he isn't talking about washing dishes anymore._

_She takes his hand in hers. "I know Sam, I know."_

"_I should have done something, I should have done anything."_

_She's about to ask what he would have done when he wretches his hand from her and both of them slam into the water filled sink._

"_Goddammit! I should have figured out something, anything, I should of," his hands are rising and falling into the water, splashing bubbles and moisture onto himself, Ellen and the floor._

"_Whoa. Sam, listen to me."_

"_I didn't do anything!" he yells and with one finally violent punch one of the plates comes flying out of the sink and to the ground with a crash. _

"_Sam! You need to calm down!" Ellen tries to grabs his shoulders, but the man is busy spiraling down in his grief. _

"_Nothing Ellen, I didn't, couldn't do anything. And now Dad is...shit." he whimpers as he slips in the mess he's made and goes hurtling towards the floor._

_Ellen catches him on the way down, tucking his head into the crook of her neck._

"_He's gone." He chokes as Ellen whispers soothing nonsense to him. "Dad is really gone."_

"_It's okay Sam. It's going to be okay."_

_Sam Winchester gives himself a minute or two to completely and totally break down in her arms. And she tries to reassure him, hopes at least some of her words are doing any good but really she can't tell over the soft, sad noises the boy is making into her collarbone. _

_He shoves off of her so suddenly she jumps._

"_Sorry I didn't mean." he starts and Ellen can see the shame burning on his cheeks._

_She helps lift him to his feet. "It's okay Sam, we all make messes." she states as she grabs the broom from the closet._

_He looks at her with his brows knitting together in confusion. _

_She passes the broom to him. "As long as we clean them up, nobody even has to know we made them."_

_Sam's face softens as he takes the cleaning implement. "That's good advice."_

_She smiles and snatches a rag from the drawer as she starts to clean up the puddle of water on the counter. _

"_I'm old. Wise comes with the package."_

_Sam laughs and the visage makes him look a lifetime younger, untouched by the horrors that life has dealt them._

_He leans in to to begin sweeping the mess and favors her with a half hug. "Thanks Ellen."_

_Ellen blushes and claps her hands. "Well then, the floor isn't going to clean itself."_

_Sam manages to sound both sarcastic and endlessly innocent when he mumbles. "We could wait and see."_

_Ellen hides the smile on her lips as she moves back to wipe down the counter._


	11. Chapter 11

**A.N.: Hey All! So if you are keeping count we are up to chapter 11! Crazy right? This thing was supposed to be 3 chapters tops, but then it kept mutating and now it is THIS. This has been a labor of love and I appreciate more than words can say all of the lovely reviews that I have gotten from yous guys :D Remember back in Chap 6 when I asked for any requests of things you would like to see in this story, well this is what LastBishop asked for. I hope you like! Thanks as always for reading my stuff. *cyber bear hug* Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

He wishes that he could pinpoint the exact moment the conversation had started to go south. He's been sitting here, across from Ellen, for the last twenty minutes and not once did a giant neon stop sign pop up, nor did a voice warn him 'Danger Bobby Singer, Danger!' Yet Bobby can see the storm raging in her eyes and her smile dies a quick and sudden death on her mouth. He didn't know what he had done wrong, but he knows he is going to pay hell for it.

She pushes out of her chair and he stands in an attempt to sooth her temper before shit hits the fan.

"Ellen," he starts.

"You've said enough Bobby." She replies.

"Come on El, don't be that way." He goes to reach for her hand just as they cross across her chest.

"I've got to get to work." She grumbles and storms off in a flurry of righteous anger leaving Bobby to stare, confused after her.

She waves tersely at him, tightening her apron at her waist before she pulls a jacket from the closet and disappears out of the front door.

What the hell had he done? They had only been talking about what a useless jackass her boss Tom was, and really if he didn't know for a fact that Ellen spiked his drink with holy water the first day she got hired, he would be seriously worried that Tom was just a meat suit for a demonic son of a bitch. That was how much of a dick he was. He had mentioned to Ellen that if her job was so awful maybe she should just quit, stay at home. He couldn't remember saying anything awful enough to merit her 'I'm gonna rip you a new one' face.

* * *

><p>He was flipping through one of his many research books when his cell phone chimed from his pocket. And God, he hoped it was Ellen since he had spent the last ten minutes trying to figure out what he was going to apologize for when he finally did call her.<p>

"Hello?"

"Bobby?" The voice that comes from the phone is male.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, it's me. Sam and I are going to be in the area in a couple of hours and we were just wondering," his voice gets cut off and Bobby can hear the phone being pulled from his hands as the eldest Winchester lets out a indignant cry of "Dude!"

"Hey Bobby, it's Sam. We've been eating out of the back of the car for the last week, and Dean is starting to smell," Another tussle for the phone and then Dean is back.

"I do not smell! Unless it's like roses bitch!" He sighs. "Bobby, Sam and I are about to kill each other, can we swing by for some R&R?"

"Why are you even asking boy? You know Ellen has a soft spot for you idjits." Bobby runs a hand over his face.

"Just Ellen? Come on now, what would you do without us?"

"Have fewer ulcers and gray hairs for one." He mutters.

Dean chuckles on the other end and Bobby can hear Sam ask. "What did he say?"

"So yes or no Bobby?"

"Get your asses over here. And try not to kill each other; I don't want to spend a perfectly good day cleaning blood out of your car."

"Alright! Tell Ellen we will be there for dinner."

"Sure will. See ya soon."

"Wait a minute."

Bobby's hand freezes on the phone.

"What is it?"

"You and Ellen okay? You sound funny."

Goddamn Winchesters, always stirring the pot.

"We're fine."

He can almost see the smirk on the punks' lips.

"That bad huh? Think maybe we should stay away Sam?"

Bobby tightens his hand on the phone. "Think maybe you should mind your own business and shut your hole before you end up sleeping in the dirt."

There is silence for just shy of a minute before Dean takes a deep breath. "We'll see you in a bit."

Bobby wants to make some stupid flippant comment back but a dial tone is blaring in his ear.

Apparently someone should have revoked his talking privileges for the day.

It's about thirty minutes later as he is idly surfing channels on his TV when there is faint flutter of wings and a trench coat clad angel is suddenly standing in front of him.

He about jumps out of his recliner before exclaiming. "Cas! What is it? Are the boys okay?"

Castiel looks from side to side, scanning the room for some invisible danger. "Yes, the Winchesters are intact."

Bobby lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank God. What are you doing here?"

Cas peers around the corner into the kitchen and then back at the man. "I was sent to 'scope out' the situation." His fingers put air quotes around the word sent and Bobby can't help but scoff a bit.

"What situation?"

"Dean indicated that you and Ellen were having a dispute."

Bobby swears he is going to kill the kid for this later.

"We're married." He says in way of an explanation.

"I am aware of your union."

"Fighting comes with the territory."

The angel tilts his head in way that reminds Bobby a hell of a whole lot of some sort of bird and states. "I don't understand. Perhaps it would make more sense if you told me what 'went down.'"

More airquotes. Cas has been hanging out with Dean way too much.

"Would if I could, but the problem is I got no damn idea." Bobby says as he sinks back into his lazy boy.

Castiel looks confused, or Bobby thinks it is confusion on his face; hell could be happiness for all he knows. The angel isn't exactly expressive.

"What do you think is wrong?"

Bobby flicks the television off. "I really don't know. All I did was tell her she could quit her job and stay home and she got all bent out of shape. I'm not a mind reader, she took off after that." He sighs into his hands. He hates it when Ellen is mad at him.

"That seems like an extreme reaction to an insignificant remark."

"You're telling me."

The angel shakes his head slightly. "I still do not understand."

"Join the club. We meet every Thursday, bring booze."

"I will inform Dean what I have learned about the situation."

"Which is?"

"Nothing." He says and is gone leaving Bobby with his thoughts once more.

He doesn't know if he will ever get used to the angel passing in and out of his home with barely more than a sigh of wings.

He is just fixing himself a sandwich when his phone rings again.

"Dean."

"Hey Bobby, look I was informed by Sam that I was being an ass earlier."

"Smart kid that Sam." Bobby smiles.

"Yeah, yeah, so I'm sorry if I ruffled any feathers."

"Speaking of feathers, you sent Cas to check in on things?"

"Yeah, I didn't want to walk into to some sort of bitch fest between you and the Mrs. I already got my own wife to deal with." Dean barely gets the words out before he cries. "Son of a bitch!" and Bobby can hear a hefty blow land.

"Sam?" He inquires.

"Right in the ear, damn that hurts!"

Bobby chuckles. "One of these days you're gonna learn to keep your mouth shut."

He hears Sam say "Not likely." In the background.

"Where are you two at? You had any more luck tracking down the devil?"

"About an hour out, filling up the tank. And nope, wherever he is Lucy is sitting nice and tight. How bout you? Find anything in the library?"

"Nope. There ain't a lot written about the devil except to leave him the hell alone."

He can't be sure what Dean would have said in response because his phone is beeping to show his other line.

"My other line is beeping; you boys try and get here in one piece."

"Yes sir."

Bobby switches over to the other line. "Hello?"

"Bobby?"

"El."

"Yeah, it's me. I'm coming home."

"Good. I think we should talk about what happened earlier."

"I think we should too."

"The boys are coming over. Sorry I should have called you earlier."

"Shit. How long?"

"About an hour."

"Okay, I'll see you soon." She hangs up and for umpteenth time today Bobby has no idea what the hell is going on.

She walks into the house still and quiet and he can't figure out if he would rather have her slam the door and rant and rave rather than this silent and lethal grace that she approaches him with now.

"Bad day?" he questions as she shrugs.

"Not one of my better."

"Anything I can do to help?" Bobby stirs the pot of stew on the stove and looks at her sideways.

She jerks her apron from her waist and lays it on the table. "Do you want me to quit my job?"

"No! I want you to do whatever you want to do." He places the wooden spoon on the counter and turns to face her.

"Because I can't just sit here at home, cooking and cleaning and barefoot. I just can't."

He feels his eyebrows rise up into his receding hairline. "What?"

"I work because I need to feel like I contribute to this family, I work because I would go insane in this house with all these books and pictures, thinking about Jo and what she is facing and," she gulps and her eyes go down to the floor.

Bobby slips his arms around her shoulders. "Ellen,"

"I know I bitch about it. I know I complain, I know Tom is Satan's inbred half brother, but it keeps me busy. I couldn't just not do _anything_."

Bobby kisses the top of her head. "That's not what I was saying El. I was saying you should work here."

Ellen steps away from him. "What?"

"Here. In the salvage yard, with me."

"Why? I don't know much about cars, what good would I do?"

Bobby pulls his cap from his head and runs a hand along his graying hair. "Plenty. Hell you have helped fix up the Chevelle with me enough times. I'm getting old; my legs ain't what they used to be."

Ellen eyes him with suspicion. "What are you talking about Bobby Singer? You're fit as a fiddle, you don't need me."

Bobby rolls his eyes towards his stubborn, bull headed wife. "Yeah, but I want you here."

Ellen looks like she can't speak for a minute and her eyes mist over with tears.

"Hell woman, I didn't mean to make you cry." Bobby scratches the back of his head with a huff.

She giggles and he can't think of a single bad thing in all of creation when he hears that sound.

"How long till the boys get here?" she whispers.

"Uh, bout forty minutes. I'm trying to get some food fixed for them."

Ellen crosses in front of her husband and flicks the burner off before turning back to him with a sweet smile.

"Ellen," Bobby starts and she passes him and heads to the stairs.

"Come on then, we only got forty minutes."

Bobby can't get up those stairs fast enough.

The boys stay for a couple of days and Bobby employs Deans help making the new scrap yard sign and when Sam takes a quick snapshot of Ellen and him in front of it, Bobby thinks besides marrying her in the first place he's never made a better decision.

_Most days she comes home from work feeling tired and frustrated and like she has three layers of filth to wash off of her, but nothing that a shower and dose of her husband won't fix. This day she comes home and her hands are shaking in anger. Bobby looks at her from his place on the couch as she thrusts her coat into the closet._

_"You're home early." he says and holds up his glass of whiskey as she passes by him._

_She takes it out of his grasp and downs it in one long gulp._

_"Want some food to go with your liquor?" he asks as he reaches up to reclaim the empty tumbler._

_Ellen plops down next to him with a weary sigh. "Can we just veg? Sit around and do absolutely nothing?"_

_Bobby throws his foot up on the coffee table as his arm goes around her. "Nascar or the food network?"_

_Ellen leans into his shoulder with a small smile. "Food network. You need all the help you can get."_

_Bobby brushes a quick kiss to her temple as he turns the TV on._

_It's not until later that night when Bobby is just starting to drift off to sleep that Ellen tells him what is going on._

_He sits up and rubs sleep out of his eyes as he turns the nightstand light on._

_"A hunter came in today."_

_She chews on one of her fingers as Bobby leans in towards her._

_"I'm guessing the story don't end like that."_

_She shakes her head. "They come in from time to time, not as often as at the Roadhouse, but they still come in."_

_He nods and places a hand on her arm, gesturing for her to continue._

_"It was a girl...about Jo's age." her voice trembles._

_"She was holding her guts in with duct tape of all things. She...she collapsed on the floor. Freaked the rest of the patrons right the hell out and Tom was in the back counting out the money for the deposit. She bled out in my arms." She pauses and her husband arms circle around her in a protective vice._

_Ellen makes a soft gasping noise and then continues. "She was too far gone, I tried to help her, tried to stop the bleeding, but she was too far gone. Tom was all pissed off about the bloodstains, here is this girl literally dying in my arms and he is worried about the goddamn mess she is making!" rage fuels her voice and her hands tighten into fists. "She gasped out ghoul and I'm sorry mom and then," Her hand flies to her mouth to keep in the rest of the words and her nausea._

_Bobby cradles her face to his chest and she takes solace in the musty smell of books and residual engine oil on him._

_The young woman's eyes are haunting her, blue and wide and terrified and Ellen feels sick at the thought of Jo ever looking that way. Dying in a stranger's arms. Never knowing how painfully proud her mother was of her even if that pride takes a back seat to the gut twisting worry._

_Her sounds of distress are muffled into his body and for the first time in as long as she can remember she cries herself to sleep._

_When she wakes up in the morning Bobby has already slipped quietly out of bed and she can hear him tinkering in the front of the house._

_He looks up at her with a smile and a wave._

_"Did I wake you up?"_

_"Nah, just the ruckus you're making." She looks around at the mess. "What are you doing out here?"_

_"Working out some frustration and it doesn't cost me fifty dollars an hour so bonus." he hefts the sledge hammer up and into the damaged cars frame._

_"Does it really work?" she leans up against a pillar on the porch._

_"Well get your ass on down here and find out."_

_Turns out it does and Ellen is feeling much better by the time she goes back into the house to start lunch. She has to go into work in a couple of hours and she plans to spend every second before then taking in the good because Lord knows when she gets to work there is going to be enough shit going around for seconds._

_Bobby takes a healthy swig of his ice tea and Ellen just wants to savor this moment, tuck it away in her heart for later need of warm and fuzzy feeling._

_She is talking about the pros and cons of murdering Tom or at the very least locking him in the cooler for a couple days when her husband says. "If work's so terrible why don't you just quit?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I mean you should quit. You shouldn't put up with that shit, you could stay here and,"_

_She doesn't hear anything else because all she can hear is her blood rushing in her ears and all she can see is her being a doting little housewife. She knows somewhere back in the rational part of her psyche that Bobby can't possibly mean that and he doesn't think of her that way, but between the flash of horrified blue eyes and the poor girl's nameless face melting into Jo's she can breathe, let alone think._

_It's astonishing how fast she goes from fine to insane and before she knows it she is flying out the door. It's not until she pulls up in front of the bar that she realizes how foolish she is being, but she doesn't know what the hell she would say to Bobby to make things right now and they have always done better on a face to face basis anyway._

_She's mechanical at work and by the time Tom has come over to ask her if bleach will take the red out of the wood she can't take anymore._

_"Shut up Tom."_

_"What? I'm trying to run a respectable place here, can't have some loser runaway coming in and bleeding all over my floor."_

_"Some loser runaway?" Ellen begins her voice just below a roar. "That loser runaway was someones daughter! She was someone's loved one, she mattered!"_

_Tom took a step or two back, raising his hands. "Whoa mama bear I meant no offense, just not a fan of cleaning up messes.'_

_"Oh you meant offense, you have done nothing but mean offense since the day I met your cantankerous and vile ass!" Ellen slammed her fist down on the table._

_"Cantankerous?"_

_Ellen shakes her head with disgust. "Look it up you moron."_

_"Hey, I'm your boss. You can't talk to me that way!"_

_Ellen wrestles with her decision for just a moment and then she looks Tom straight in the eyes, a little gleeful that he flinches._

_"Were my boss." she states._

_"What?"_

_"You heard me, you were my boss."_

_Tom's face turns red at her words._

_"What the hell does that mean?"_

_Ellen beams at him. "It means I quit you asshole."_

_He looks at her in shock. "But you're my best bartender, people love you."_

_"I quit." She turns away from him and heads to the door._

_"What I am supposed to do now?"_

_Ellen pivots towards him with a humorless chuckle. "I for one recommend learning how to not be a terrible person otherwise when you die you are going find out what an evil son of a bitch really looks like."_

_Her high from quitting has left her by the time she gets in the door and mostly she is just exhausted and she swears to herself, to God to whoever is listening that she will call Jo first thing tomorrow, tell her that while she doesn't support her decision to be a hunter she supports her and she will be there for her from now on._

_Bobby and her make the decision to work together and Ellen doesn't know how she could have ever thought that Bobby would want her to be a housewife. Oh well, chalk it up to a bad week and a troubled mind._

_The picture of them in front of the scrap yard sits in front of his desk and every time Ellen passes it she feels a swell of pride from the privilege of being his wife._

**A.W.: We are closing in on the home stretch, only a couple more chapters left. God bless all of you for hanging in. :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N.: Hello my fellow Fanfic writers! A special shout out to Sharlot for giving me an idea for the monster of the week, I had no idea what creature to have them hunt this chapter and her latest story 'Killing me softly.' gave me an idea. So thanks! *shameless plug for an amazing story :)*** **Also another shout out to Dorothy for fixing this one up and being a constant source of inspiration for me to write Ellen/Jo, you are a doll hon! And what's left of my voice to shout out to the rest of you who have reviewed, subscribed and favorited this story. YOU GUYS ROCK! Without further adeu onto the chapter, spoilers up to 6x16.** **Disclaimer:Not mine.**

He stares at the ground until he can't remember what is he is doing there, until the soft drizzle that was just a slight dampness clinging to his clothes has soak him to the bone. And he feels cold and numb and dead. But he's not dead. He just wishes he was. He has just spent every waking moment since he woke up leaking some God awful black ooze from all of his orifices wishing, praying, pleading to be dead. Because he buried a knife in his ex best friends chest. He had already taken enough from the man; to take his life just seemed to add insult to injury.

Sure, it wasn't so much him as it was that yeerk like slug that had shimmied up in his cranium, but it was still his hands that held the blade, his mouth that tweaked up in the grin full of malice, his body that betrayed him. He couldn't just get over that.

Sam and Dean had left him there holding the bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and he just let it leak out onto the grave like little bits of his soul.

He remembers hunting with Rufus like it was yesterday. Back when he was brand new and didn't know holy water from wolfs bane and spent every waking moment terrified of a faceless evil that he couldn't even put a name to. He remembers when they sang along to songs on the radio, off key of course, and made up stupid dares to see who would be doing laundry this week;when wives were forbidden subjects, and a good night was measured by the amount of monster blood you had to wash out your clothes. Long before Bobby could remember an exorcism rite when he couldn't even recall the vows of his first marriage.

Rufus and he went where they wanted and did what they pleased. He was as close to a person he had ever been without taking up residence in their sheets. Rufus had teased him endlessly since more often than not Bobby spent his nights alone in their motel room nursing a beer bottle and watching stupid programs on the television, while Rufus came home in the morning with the lipstick stains sticking out almost as much as his war wounds.

Bobby trudges back to the car, his gait slow and clumsy and his heart so heavy it's in his feet. The door of his car creaks open and he puts the now empty bottle into the seat. The car engines rolls over with a low growl and Bobby stares at the rain creating zig zag patterns on his windshield.

Rufus hated driving in the rain, he felt like the world was already gloomy enough and since they were hunters it was the least the universe could do to keep the god damn sun shining. Bobby used to tease him that he should put in an order for birds singing while he was at it, which usually earned him a punch to the side.

That was before. Before everything. Before Omaha.

He wasn't expecting the boys to be waiting for him at the house when he pulls up, both of them standing on his porch like some sort of flesh gargoyles. Neither of them moves as he gets out of the car, the bottle swinging in his hand at his side.

Sam's eyes flood with concern and Bobby wonders idly if he should attach a collar and leash to make that puppy dog stare official. Damn, he hadn't had a drop of the alcohol and his brain was still unraveling.

"Bobby." Dean greets him with a tilt of his head.

"What are you doing here?" His voice sounds like gravel is raking his windpipe.

"I know what you think, but Sam and I aren't here to babysit you."

"Yeah Bobby, you went through quite a physical ordeal in the last couple of days, we just want to make sure you are okay."

Bobby chokes on a bitter laugh burbling up in his diaphragm.

Okay. Okay? He is about six continents away from okay. Try absolutely hopeless, utterly depleted of any sort of good feeling in his heart, even the shit he has tucked away for just such an occasion is dim and frayed at the edges.

"I mean I know you aren't okay," Dean pauses and runs a hand along the base of his neck with a tiny laugh. "None of us are okay. But we survive. We keep going because we have to. The world needs us to."

"Screw the world." Bobby growls and it surprises him that those hateful, jaded words make it past his lips.

Sam takes one step down off the porch and towards him. "Bobby,"

"Don't 'Bobby' me boy. What the hell has this world done for you? Taught you how to hold a gun before you knew your ABCs, left you both twisted and ruined before you even knew what it meant! We save people, but do we save the people that matter?" He flings the bottle from him in disgust as Sam freezes on the stairs and Dean's posture tightens up.

"I know sometimes it feels that way but," Sam tries to sooth him, always being the heart of the group. And dammit if it doesn't pisses him off.

"Feels that way? It _is that_ way. You lost your girl and your mom and your,"

Dean comes charging down the steps. "You will want to stop right there, before you say something you can't take back." His voice is lethal and dangerous and clearly a warning.

Just like that the frenzy of bluster and wrath that is gnawing at his insides comes to deafening, screeching halt and he remembers that he loves these two. Loves them like his own.

"You're right, I do want to stop," Bobby sighs and Dean pats him solidly on the shoulder.

He wants to stop. Needs to stop. But he can't stop. His head feels like it is screwed on backwards and his heart is rattling in pieces in his ribcage. He hasn't felt like this in so long that he can't even remember what he did to fix it before.

"You need to go." He states wearily, as he first passes past Dean, and then Sam, unable to meet either sets of their eyes.

"Bobby,"

"Look, you mean well and we could sit here and talk out our feelings, but this ain't Oprah and I'm not feeling particularly in the sharing in caring mood. So do us both a favor, and get in your car and help someone who wants to be helped."

They look like kids that have been scolded when he closes the door on them.

In the morning he finds them both sitting on the hood of their car, coffees in hand. He should have known they wouldn't leave, when the hell had his boys ever listened to him.

Bobby takes the cup from Dean's hand, squinting at the sun that breaks over the horizon and lights his scrap yard up. The metal glints like seashells at the bottom of an ocean wave and Bobby thinks it is way too early to be waxing poetic as he gulps his drink.

"Dark and bitter just like you." Dean teases and Bobby can't think of something snarky to say back.

He always has something snarky to say back.

"It was just a joke dude, crack a smile." Bobby pulls a hand along his hung over face.

Dean hangs his head. "Too soon? Sorry I'm inappropriate and have bad timing."

Sam bites into a muffin and mumbles. "The worst."

"Have you called Ellen yet?" Dean asks around his mouthful of food.

Bobby doesn't answer.

"Yeah, that's what we thought. So we called her." Dean says taking a sip from the top of his cup.

"You did what? What gives you the right?" Bobby turns towards Dean with the intent to kick his ass and is met with a solid wall of Sam.

"We have the right because we care about you Bobby. And if being Dean's brother has taught me anything it's that caring about someone trumps everything."

Dean pretends to look disgusted and secretly smiles into his food.

"Everything. Personal space, boundaries, any semblance of control, the need to go to the bathroom without your own personal body guard,"

Dean sighs and thumps the top of his brother's head before sliding off the hood.

"Point is we called her. I ain't going to apologize for it, what I am going to do is force some crappy breakfast bagel down your throat and maybe hose you down in the front yard so you are presentable to your wife when she gets down here." Dean tries to grip onto the older man's elbow and he side steps him.

He rushes past them and back into the safety of his house. The phone rings and the sound pulls him from the whirlwind of his desolation and back to reality.

"Hello?"

"Bobby?"

"Ellen."

Her voice carries across the phone and wraps around him like an embrace. "I'm so sorry."

He bends into the receiver and weeps. He's forgotten that no matter how many layers of power and skill and savior complex you bury yourself under, you are still a fragile, damaged human somewhere deep down.

_She's still half asleep when she rolls over to curl around the body next to her. She lays one hand over their chest and realizes with a jolt that it is not her husband. She pushes back on her forearms and shimmies as far away from the foreign person as she can manage in her half aware state._

_A deep sigh is expelled into the air as a female voice says. "Keep it down would ya?" and all of the memories from the past week slam back into her cranium._

"_Jo?" She squints into the darkness as her daughter shifts towards her._

"_Yes?"_

"_Jesus, you scared the crap out of me!" she hisses._

"_Sorry, guess I should just be glad that you don't sleep with a knife under your pillow." she chuckles and Ellen has to resist the urge to shove her off the bed._

"_Very funny Joanna Beth. What in the hell are you doing in my bed anyway?"_

_Jo slides her feet to the ground and clicks on the light by the side of the bed._

"_I couldn't sleep and I wanted the company." she whispers as Ellen pulls out of the bed and slides her robe on over her pajamas._

"_You haven't needed to sleep in my bed since you were ten. What's going on?"_

_Her daughter has the sense to look embarrassed as she faces her mother. _

"_Everything okay Jo?"_

"_My bed is gross."_

_Ellen looks at the slightly rumpled bed to the right of her._

"_I know this ain't exactly the ritz pumpkin, but,"_

_Jo shakes her head. "No, its gross. Like covered in ick, and has a weird smell, gross."_

_Ellen watches her daughter as she clenches her hands._

_Her eyes are downcast and Ellen knows, she just knows, that she is thinking about the hunt. Thinking about the fact that they had tracked a succubus through Baker, Montana that left young dead blondes behind everywhere they went. She was thinking about the fact that she had been trapped in his thrall for just a moment, completely lost control of her body for just a single, solitary moment. A moment when she had leveled a gun at Ellen, a moment when the thing that went bump in the night had almost bumped her right off the playing board. Before his control had wavered for just a moment and Jo had swung the weapon around and shot him point blank in the face, silent tears cascading down her outraged face._

_Her eyes lifted back up from the floor as Ellen moves back into the bed. Wordlessly Jo sits on the edge and waits for the okay._

"_Tomorrow is going to be here before either of us is ready for it, let's get some shut eye."_

"_Mom, I'm." Jo bites into her lip to stop the sob she has trapped from tumbling out._

"_Tired?" Ellen states as she pulls her daughter's form back onto the bed. "Me too baby." She brushes a kiss over her bruised temple. "Me too."_

_Her daughter is sleeping in the seat next to her by the time they pull into the gas station to fill up. Ellen goes inside to stock up on snacks and when she comes back to the car Jo is speaking into her phone._

"_Who is it?" She questions as she passes a coke to her sleep addled offspring._

"_Yeah, yeah she's right here." She covers the mouthpiece and says. "It's Dean."_

"_Dean?" Ellen reaches for the cell. "Hello?"_

"_Hey Ellen."_

"_Hey, what's up?"_

_There is silence from the other end of the phone._

"_Dean?"_

"_Nothing, nothing is up."_

_Damn kid is transparent even over the phone._

"_Really?" she switches the phone to her other ear. "So you're just calling to,"_

"_How are things going with you huh? Succubus all nice and dead?"_

"_Dean, what the hell is going on?"_

"_What? I can't call to say,"_

_Ellen wrenches open the car door as she slams into her seat. "Stop lying to me or I swear to God I will break your Pinocchio nose the next time I see you."_

"_Whoa, hostile much?" she can almost see him backing away with both hands held high._

"_Is it Bobby? Is he okay?" Ellen hears her voice raise up a few octaves._

"_No!" Dean cries out from the other end of the phone and it is the first thing he has said that doesn't sound like complete and utter bullshit._

_Her fear punches out of her gut in the form of a heavy sigh. "What is it then Dean? What's wrong?"_

"_It's uh...It's Rufus."_

_And just like that her fear climbs back up in her body and latches onto her heart. "How bad is it?" _

"_It's bad Ellen," he pauses and she can hear him scrub a hand over his face. "He didn't make it."_

_Her emotions fly out of her in the form of breakfast._

_Ten minutes later after she has reigned her emotions in she calls Bobby and the phone immediately goes to voice mail._

"_Dammit!" she yells slamming her fist into the dash._

"_Mom?" Jo glances sideways at her, concern lighting up her eyes._

"_He's not picking up. The house phone, his cell, nothing."_

"_What does that mean?" Jo asks._

"_It means he's drowning." she mutters._

_The brakes squeal as Jo pulls the car over the shoulder._

"_What are you doing?" Ellen looks up as her daughter gets out the car and starts to pull her belongings from the vehicle._

"_Getting my stuff."_

"_I can see that Jo, why are you doing that?" Ellen joins her standing in the asphalt._

"_Because I need to get going to the next hunt. People are dying mysteriously in groups in Fresno." she hefts her backpack up higher on her back._

"_What are you saying honey?"_

_Jo turns and places the keys into her mother's hands. "I'm saying I need to go save people, you need to go save Bobby."_

_Ellen's fingers curl around the keys. "What are you going to do?"_

_Jo smiles at her. "I'm going to go kill some evil sons of bitches. Just like you taught me."_

_Ellen arms go around her daughter in an embrace. "I love you Joanna Beth."_

"_I love you too Mom. Now get out of here," she pushes her gently back towards the vehicle._

"_Wait, what are you going to do?"_

"_I'll already called Carmen she's about two hours out she is going to come get me. There was a truck stop a couple of miles back, I'm going to walk there and then wait."_

"_Okay, call me as soon as she gets you."_

_Jo nods and gestures back towards the car. "I will. Call me as soon as you get home, tell Bobby," she swallows hard. "Tell him I'll kick his ass if he is still drowning when I see him again."_

_Ellen laughs._

_Jo shrugs. "What? He's a Harvelle too, we may get knocked down, but we don't stay down." she grins and starts walking off in the opposite direction._

_Ellen watches her back for just a minute, marveling at the subdued strength her daughter is oozing with. When the hell had she gone and grown up?_

_She guns the engine and tries to call him again._

"_Dammit Bobby, turn your phone on." she growls and get back on the highway, on her way back to her husband._

_She tries the house phone for the millionth time when a broken voices answers. "Hello?"_

_It sounds like the complete opposite of the gravelly, sarcastic, loving tone of her husband she has to ask to be sure. "Bobby?"_

"_Ellen."_

_She replies with the only thing she can think of, the only thing she would say to him if she could be there right now. "I'm so sorry."_

_She isn't expecting the complete break of the man she loves as he weeps on the other end, she is even more shocked by the fact that she can't see the road and she has to pull over to cry with him._

_After he has apologized enough times to make Ellen mad she finally says. "Where are the boys?"_

"_Sitting on the porch." he breathes._

"_Let them in damn house Bobby."_

"_I don't want them here." he argues._

"_Well I'm still a couple of hours out...you could just sit all alone in that big, empty house."_

"_Fine, whatever, I'll let them in. But we aren't talking about,"_

"_Fine, put them to work."_

"_What work? We got nothing in the ways of cases on this end._

"_I don't care, have them dust. Just...don't be alone right now okay. You don't have to promise me much, but promise me that." she sighs._

_His answering sigh is long suffering as he says. "Okay Ellen, okay." and disconnects the call._

_She pushes her foot the pedal a little bit harder and wishes with every fiber of her being that she could have spared him the pain._

_She clicks on the radio to drown out her thoughts as she rolls down her window. The open air whips her hair around her face as she whispers. "Rest in peace Rufus." into the wind._

**A.W.: FYI guys this is officially the longest story I have ever written! And that is all thanks to YOU!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N.: This chapter takes place during 6x17. Mostly the in between parts. I hope you like. It's a bit hard to tell you to enjoy because this chapter is a little bit heartbreaking, you have been warned. Thank you so much for all of you who have taken the time to read, review and favorite this. I can't ever repay your kindness.**

**Disclaimer: This is not mine.**

It's too quiet. It's a notion that seems odd to Bobby as he is usually a man who relishes his silence. But not this uneasy, sadness filled silence... the sound of death.

The boys had finally left and he thought he would get the long sought after peace without those two fretting around him. But he hasn't. Instead, he just feels empty ; a husked out shell of the man he once was.

He reaches for his empty glass. Ellen better get here soon or she isn't going to like what she finds. Of course it wouldn't be the first time she's had to dig him out of the bottom of a bottle. Bobby spent more nights than not obliviously drunk when Dean had taken his little summer vacation to Hell. Equally so when Sam had seen how much his brother got out of the trip and signed up for one as well. Ellen always saved him, reminded him that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and that light was her.

He looks at the glass, void except for the few drops of stubborn whiskey clinging to the rim. He tips the bottle into the tumbler and flinches as a shotgun lies across his arm, followed by the perturbed voice of his wife.

"Tell me you haven't been drinking this whole time."

She is pissed. Okay, he had been wrong about her acceptance of how he chooses to deal with this. What else is new?

It's like being kicked in the jewels, the realization that the life you have made for yourself is some fucked up fabrication of a jagged time line. And for the first time in over a week he is mad. Livid really. He's been upset since Rufus' death, but he had been to busy feeling sorry for himself to get mad. Now he is angry. Angry at what or who he isn't sure. But whatever it is; whatever is dangling his life with Ellen in front of him like a worm on a hook, has him more riled up than a bear in a hornet's nest. Just point the son of a bitch at him and he will make sure he is out of commission for the next…oh forever!

He grips the picture of him and Ellen and thinks 'not this, not again. Please God not again.'

He is trying to come up with some miracle plan when she comes stomping down the stairs, and by her tone she is worried. Bobby prays it isn't Jo, that she's okay because he has had enough shit piled on him today, thank you very much.

"That was Jo. Thirty more dead on the West Coast. What exactly do those boys think they are going to do?"

He shrugs, and hopes he sounds convincing when he replies. "It's the boys. If anybody can pull this out of their asses, it's those two."

Ellen looks up as she starts cleaning her shotgun. "Yeah, you ever hear the saying "you can't stop fate."? You know, the cleanest fix would just be to sink the boat."

His head shoots up. "Why would you say that?"

"Well, because, right now they're all dying bloody. It's not the same as never being born."

Bobby can't help the waver in his voice as he retorts. "You're talking about people—people who are loved…who would be missed."

And dammit all to hell, he can see by the way her eyes flash with concern that she knows something is wrong.

"What the hell is up with you?"

He looks down, hoping if she can't look him in the eyes she won't be able to see the fear in them. "Nothing."

Ellen smirks. "Oh please. You are a neon sign. So, I can beat it out of you, or we could just skip that part—dealer's choice."

Bobby gulps. "Ellen, you should sit down."

The words spew from him in a rush of emotion and he gets them out fast. His mouth still stutters on the word 'dead' because it is unfathomable to him that it should even exist in the same time and place as the force of nature that is his wife.

Ellen, who had previously refused his offer to sit, now sinks into a chair.

"Oh boy." she breathes and Bobby wishes he could reel his words back down into his gut.

He sits across from her. "El, it's going to be," He stops. He can't promise her it will be okay, she will see right through the lie anyway.

She looks at him with strength and he wonders where she gets it from and if she would mind sharing.

He falters for just a moment as she leans towards him. Bobby doesn't want to answer, doesn't want to think about a world where they aren't.

"They're not gonna sink the boat. I promise. The boat stays. You don't have to worry."

Ellen drags in a deep breath. "Well…if it's meant to be, then…I guess whatever happens, happens."

He shakes his head. "But that's just my point. Nothing's "meant to be." Whether we're together is at the whim of some dick angel." He stops abruptly, outraged that he even has to have this stupid conversation.

Ellen chuckles humorlessly under her breath. "Oh, Bobby, relax."

Where would he be without her? What would he be? How can he fix this?

"I can't." He sighs. "We need you." He casts his eyes down because he is sure if he has to look into her eyes right now he will break. "Especially me."

Ellen nods as tears fill her eyes. "I know."

He can't look at her. He's terrified that he will watch her blink out of existence right in front of him.

Her hand crosses the expanse of the table to grip his, telling him without saying a word that she is here, right now, with him. The same hand moves to trace the tips of her fingers down his cheek and he shudders.

When she touches him it makes him feel like he is just a man. He is just a man and she is just a woman and they aren't Gods or warriors or murderers or failures. They are beings, capable of error and flaws and of love that has stolen their breath from their lips.

"Bobby."

Not now Ellen, I'm barely keeping it together. I'm using all the willpower I possess at this moment, try again later.

Her hand moves to grip his chin. "Bobby, look at me."

He reluctantly drags his gaze from the oh so fascinating grain on the table and back to her.

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, at least not without kicking and screaming." She looks like an amazon, all toughness and grit. Hell if he can remember a time he's loved her more.

She smiles ruefully. "Have you slept?"

The question catches him off guard, so normal is this devastating present.

"What?"

"You. Sleep."

He shakes his head. "There's no time, the boys,"

Ellen stands and takes his hand in her own. "The boys can wait Bobby."

He is already being pulled from the chair and to the couch. "The case Ellen, I need to find something for,"

"There will always be another case Bobby; the boys can manage for a couple of hours." Her hands are gentle on him as they help him down on the couch.

"If I don't help them they will," he pauses.

Ellen strips her over shirt and goes to lie on top of him.

"What are you doing?" he whispers.

"I'm lying on my husband. We are both going to get a couple of hours of sleep and then wake up and hit the books. Both of us."

He can't respond. Wouldn't be able to find words if he tried.

She smiles into his chest as she reaches up and tilts his hat down in a playful gesture. His hand weaves into her hair, digits caressing each lock and her palm rests over his heart.

He wants to freeze this moment, stop and live in it for the rest of his days.

She is okay, Jo is okay, and the boys are okay. Yeah, this seems like a good time to just stop.

His chest seizes up as he halts the intake of air filling his lungs. No more breathing, because even one more breath will mean that time has continued on, that every aching millisecond that passes is one moment closer to that goddamn ship sinking, to fate stealing away Ellen with barely more than a rustle of sound.

He can't do it. He can't lose her.

She pushes up by his ear and whispers brokenly. "Just breathe Bobby. Breathe."

And, because she tells him too, because it means that she is still there and that they are still together, he does._  
><em>

_It's too loud out here. She can't even think. She kicks the tire of the car in frustration. Stupid universe. Stupid flat tire._

_It feels like it takes far too long for her to get the tire changed, and all she wants to do is be with Bobby. Hold his hand and tell him that it will all be okay, because it has to be. She needs him too much to think anything else._

_She dials him for what feels like the millionth time and is surprised to hear Dean on the other end of the phone._

"_Dean?"_

"_Hey Ellen."_

"_Hey. How's Bobby?"_

"_He's fine. Yeah, he's doing good."_

_She shakes her head. One of these days someone is going to figure out that it is not a good idea to lie to her._

"_Listen up Dean Winchester, I'm going to be home in about ten minutes and I need to know what I am coming home to."_

_There is a resigned sigh from the other end. "He has a happy buzz going on. He's doing okay."_

"_Okay? Really? Cause you sound like you about choked on that line you just tried to feed me."_

_Dean forces a chuckle and Ellen can almost see his head going down in embarrassment._

"_Do you want us to wait until you get here?"_

_She takes a deep, mind clearing breath. "No, no, thanks for all you two have done. I'll be there soon."_

"_You sure? Cause we got the time."_

_She smiles. "I am going to need to whip my husband into shape when I get home, you shouldn't be there to see that."_

_Dean, god bless him, laughs on the other end. "Me and Sam will boogie then. Call you later."_

"_Okay. And Dean?"_

"_Yeah?"_

_Ellen swallows the lump that has suddenly appeared in her throat. "He's going to be fine. I promise."_

"_I know. He's Bobby."_

_And really that says it all._

_She shoos him up the stairs as she pulls open the dishwasher. Row after row of tumblers line the top rack. Damn fool, trying to drown his sorrows. As if it ever helps. Didn't help with Dean or Sam and it is sure as hell is not going to work with Rufus._

_She forces some food in front of him that he looks at with disdain._

"_What is it?"_

"_It's not alcohol."_

_Bobby blows on the stew with a roll of his eyes. "I didn't ask what it wasn't Ellen."_

"_Food Bobby. It's food." She drops the bowl of bread in front of him. "I know you haven't seen each other in a while, but I'm sure you remember where it goes."_

_Bobby scowls at her. "I'm an old, grumpy drunk, not a child."_

_Ellen grabs a piece of the bread and bites into it. "Then stop acting like one. Eat."_

_He raises his eyes to her in a challenge. Stubborn bull headed man._

_His hand digs into the bowl of bread yanking one piece from the container. "Fine."_

_She turns back towards the sink to hide her smile._

_When she comes back down the stairs Bobby turns shocked eyes towards her, almost as if he is not expecting her to be there. Which is weird, cause where else would she be?_

_She tells him about Jo and then muses that sinking the ship would be the easiest fix._

_His whole face changes in the blink of an eye. He suddenly looks like a man who has been kicked when he is down._

_She tries to ask him what is wrong and he lies to her. Bobby very rarely lies to her and it automatically makes worry swell up in her chest._

_She quips some stupid remark about how he can tell her or she can beat it out him and he looks at her with such sadness that she almost doesn't want to know what's wrong._

_He gulps, his Adam's apple making a frantic motion in his throat. "Ellen, you should sit down."_

_She wants to tell him to slow down, to take it easy because the words that are coming out his mouth are confusing and jumbled and then he stutters on the word dead and she feels a cold sort of dread creeping up her spine and she sits because she has to, her legs seem to have lost the strength to hold her up._

_She pulls the bottle from the middle of the table and pours herself a belt of whiskey._

_Her and Jo dead. Jo and her dead. That doesn't seem fair. Not with everything they have given up already, not with all she would be leaving behind. She needs Bobby._

_He echoes the sentiment just as she is thinking it and her heart breaks a little bit._

_She tries to assure him that they will be okay, that they have to be. They are Ellen and Bobby and a whole lot of shit has tried to come between them before._

_She watches as the exhaustion, the worry, and then finally the grief steal the light from his face. She understands in that moment exactly what he is feeling. He will be alone because she will be gone._

_She coaxes him from the table and to the couch. He needs to rest, they both need to just be able to rest._

_She is counting his heartbeats when his breath hitches and the soft pitter patter suddenly becomes a frenzied rhythm. She chokes back her tears because she knows, she just **knows **that Bobby is trying to stop breathing. Because then everything will be forced to stop, and they can just be. God, can't fate just leave them alone for one moment? Doesn't she have enough grasped in her greedy little fingers?_

_His eyes are screwed shut as she pushes up towards his ear._

"_Just breathe, Bobby. Breathe."_

_And he does. His breath saws out of him in stuttering sobs that he is doing his damndest to stifle._

"_We're okay Bobby. You and me. It's just you and me."_

_When he finally relents and starts to doze off, Ellen traces the planes of his face with one finger. She's never known happiness like she has with this man. And she wishes like hell that the boat doesn't have to sink. But she's no idiot; the boys will do their best to keep it from happening as much as out of love for her as for Bobby. But in the end, you can't stop fate._

_She squeezes her eyes shut as she lays back down on him, his breath stirring the hair at her forehead._

"_I love you Bobby Singer." She utters quietly as she plants a gentle kiss to his lips. "Dick angel or not, that will never change."_

_His heartbeat is slow and steady now, and strong. He will be okay, he's not a quitter._

_Ellen just wishes she could be there to see it._

**A.W.: All that's left is the epilogue guys. Hang in for one more chapter :-)**


	14. Epilogue

**A.N.: Sooooo….here we are. At the end. This is the first story I can honestly say I'm sad to see it end. It has been a joy to write. It was originally going to be a oneshot and then a three part-er and it just kept growing and growing and growing until it was this! This wonderful tale about two characters that, in my opinion, don't get enough screen time. Thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed, favorite, read, alerted and just downright liked this story. A super duper special shout out to Dorothy who has beta-ed every chapter, let me bounce around ideas and supported me every step of the way. You're one in a million, my friend! That means you: smalld1171, aspiringauthor8818 (aka my s-sister :P), LastBishop,TheAPrincess, LeighAnnWallace,Ghostwriter, ccase13, and of course Sharlot. YOU are the ones who have kept this story alive, YOU are the ones who have encouraged me to keep going, I couldn't have done it without you guys…really. :D And of course thanks to Jim Beaver and Samantha Ferris, they were only given one episode as a married couple and yet they pulled it off so BEAUTIFULLY that by the end of it I was in tears. Okay that's all I have folks, onto the curtain call! God bless each and every one of you.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for this idea.**

He wakes up and instantly feels that something is off. So off in fact that he swings his legs off the couch and to the ground in one swift motion. He wiggles all of his toes in his boots because the last time he felt something this off his legs had been cut out from under him. Okay, so he's got legs, and arms, and nothing beasty like is munching on his face, but still, _something _is off.

He can't quite place what it is as he runs his tongue along his chapped lips. Whiskey. Okay, that's a given, but hell...is that a hint of cinnamon?

"What the hell?" he breathes, as he scrubs a hand down his face and tries to wipe away the off feeling along with the grit and grime on his skin.

Girlish giggling is bouncing around in his subconscious as he shakes his head to clear it of the foreign sound. He hasn't heard giggling since Karen...

Weird dreams, that's got to be it.

Dean comes around the corner so fast that Bobby jolts.

The younger man's face is plastered with several different emotions. His mouth is upturned in a relieved smile, his eyes are hard and cold and his forehead is creased in worry. Bobby's had enough of an education on the eldest Winchester to be able to read what he looks like when he is trying to hide something.

Balls. What's wrong now?

He gets to his feet as Dean's face goes blank.

"Dean? What is it?" He glances around for Sam. "Is it Sam? Is it the wall? What happened?"

Dean places a placating hand on his forearm. "What? No Bobby, Sam is fine. We are both fine."

He drops his head to his chest for a moment and exhales a sigh of relief. For as much shit as he has given the both of them recently, he doesn't know what the hell he would do without them.

"Thank God. Well then, what is it?"

Dean turns his face away from his and Bobby's sure he is busily conducting a quick scan for his partner in crime.

"Dean, now I know you ain't trying to lie to me mostly cause you suck at it."

He chuckles. "Paranoid much Bobby? I was just coming to check on my favorite wino. You've been sleeping it off for a long ass time man."

"And you're brother? Why ain't he here like your normally larger shadow?"

Dean shrugs. "He's taking a little siesta upstairs. Apparently a year of no sleep and being yanked out of Hell has that effect on a person. Who knew?"

"Everything really okay?" He has to ask because Dean doesn't get that face for just anything no reason.

"Yeah, case has been taken care of and Sam is twinkle twinkle little starr-ing up in the bedroom. So yeah...I'm good. How bout you? Feeling any less like a drunk, grumpy hermit now that you have gotten a couple of hours of sleep?"

Bobby scowls at him. "I am not a drunk, grumpy hermit."

"I was thinking of changing your name to Oscar. And I picked up a _lovely_ trashcan on the way back from the case. Seriously, I checked it out and it's awesome." Dean smirks at him.

Bobby thunks him on the shoulder as he passes the man.

"Really Bobby, you okay?"

Bobby pivots in the kitchen to stare at the man in his living room, and for just a minute has a flash of the need for the roles to be reversed. He should be the one in the living room by his desk and in the kitchen should be...

"Bobby?"

Dean voice jerks him out of his thoughts as he shifts back to the sink and fills a glass with water before taking a deep gulp.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Someone has to make sure you two idjits don't get yourselves killed." He moves his steps towards the stairs, the overwhelming need to check on the other Winchester guiding his movement. Maybe if he can confirm that they are both okay, if he can see it with his own eyes, this nagging feeling in his gut will go away.

"Aww Bobby, you're the best Mom we could have asked for."

He stops on the first step and chuckles. "Shut up and get me something to eat, I'm starving."

He catches Dean's mock salute out of the corner of his eye. "Yes ma'am."

Huh, maybe he was wrong for once. Seems to him like everything is about as normal as it can get.


End file.
